Can smallholders become the core of Nicaragua’s new reforestation strategy?

March 26, 2018

Rome, Italy – This March, Taking Root’s Canadian and Nicaraguan directors presented their smallholder reforestation model by special invitation at the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO was particularly interested in Taking Root’s experience in Nicaragua implementing climate-smart agroforestry practices that generate millions of dollars of income for farmers in a region where most people are living on less than US $2 per day. This is because the FAO has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to the design of climate change related strategies. Yet, there is still a huge gap in channeling funds to smallholder farmers.

For the past decade, Taking Root has been developing a reforestation model in Nicaragua to tackle climate change and poverty. Through this model, farmers receive financial incentives in the short run to grow trees on their farms and utilize a data driven approach to help them increase yields. In addition, farmers are connected to buyers of their reforestation products which substantial increases the farmers’ income. Since the farmers earn money from strategically growing trees, this model simultaneously addresses climate change and poverty.

At the heart of this model, and of particular interest to participants at the FAO, is how Taking Root makes sophisticated data-driven procedures simple enough to be used by smallholder organizations. Accounting for the amount of carbon sequestered on smallholders’ farms with a credible level of accuracy is indispensible for the legitimacy of climate smart agroforestry. However, in the absence of tools such as those developed by Taking Root, the lion’s share of funding usually goes to expensive consultants instead of going to smallholder farmers.

The question now is whether the FAO can support Taking Root to expand its smallholder reforestation model to the national level in Nicaragua through its Forest and Farm Facility. The Facility’s recently completed first phase was able to empower forest and farm producers and their organizations in 10 countries for sustainable development, poverty reduction and climate change. With this experience, the Forest and Farm Facility is ready to scale up for a second phase from 2018 to 2022 for climate resilient landscapes and Improved livelihoods.

Taking Root and the FAO believe that climate mitigation programs and finance mechanisms must engage millions of forest farmers if they are to halt deforestation and restore forest landscapes. After all, solutions that address deforestation need to consider the estimated 1 billion smallholder farmers from around the world that manage small patches of forest on their farms. Since the root cause of deforestation is people’s pursuit of better economic opportunities, solutions need to improve smallholders’ income.

The FAO Forestry Department helps nations manage their forests in a sustainable way. The Organization’s approach balances social, economic and environmental objectives so that present generations can reap the benefits of the earth’s forest resources while conserving them to meet the needs of future generations.