According to an article in the Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability (2014)1; Cultivated lands have the potential to contribute significantly to climate change mitigation by improved cropping practices and greater numbers of trees on farms. The global estimated potential of all greenhouse gas (GHG) sequestration in agriculture ranges from ∼1500 to 4300 Mt CO2e yr−1, with about 70% from developing countries; 90% of this potential lies in soil carbon restoration and avoided net soil carbon emission.
Acacia Tree. Kitale farm, Trans-Nzoia county. Image: Teresa Lubano
Whether you live in the city or countryside, Kenya has numerous options of where one can easily and affordably purchase trees seedlings. Be it by the roadside nurseries, on social media platforms, digital retailers or brick and mortar shops, a wide variety of native and exotic tree species exists, and can be selected from. Therefore, there is no reason why people even with little shambas won’t consider growing a few trees. With the global conversations around climate change and looming impacts of it, we as a nation ought to turn our eyes and ‘hoes’ towards agroforestry as a ‘sustainable practice that helps to achieve both mitigation and adaptation’1.
Despite tree planting’s important role of carbon sequestration, it is still an underrated reason for pursuing it amongst locals. Food security seems to be more of a priority for the average smallholder farmer, rather than the ‘symbolic value of carbon sequestration’1. Yes, trees are planted, but are cut down sooner than later. Mainly for food, fooder, timber and fuel. To counter this ‘quick plant and cut syndrome’, more needs to be done to educate the farmer and demonstrate that agroforestry in the long term, supports both improved food production as well as climate adaptation benefits.
Recently I bumped into an interesting article on the World Agroforestry blog, the article was talking about a scientist’s significant remarks on tree planting vs. tree growth. Lalisa Duguma, a climate-change mitigation and adaptation scientist, CGIAR: Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, said, ‘people should forget tree planting and start tree growing’.2
These remarks struck a chord. Having been a farmer for over 8 years now, this comment is an eyeopener. It precisely speaks to the idea that tree planting is perceived as an event, rather than the first step towards engaging in long term nurturing of the tree. Sadly, the celebration and pride of a tree planting exercise ends, once the top soil is scooped up to cover the young tree seedling. However, what happens to the tree thereafter? Who watches over it? Do we go back to check its progress?
In my response to these inquires posed and inform on this perplexing paradox; allow me to pose a theory. One that particularly points out insights with the purpose of a) expressing the ‘higher’ aspirations provided by agroforestry for food forests and organic farming b) highlighting challenges and gaps there are with the hope that those practicing agroforestry can put checks in place to cushion from the anticipated ‘shocks’ c) advocate for agroforestry, more so, for its crucial role in addressing the greatest challenge of modern time; climate change.
Flowering pomegranate tree in the orchard. Kitale, Trans-Nzoia county. Image: Teresa Lubano
Theory
I have experienced interesting phenomena around tree planting; from two levels. One is, the fact that, when one plants a tree, there is an assumption that it will grow. The other assumption is that the initial investment one makes in regards to tree planting is perhaps the only investment that will be made. Again, this too is another fallacy.
To start with the first one – where one plants a tree and moves on, expecting it to grow.
I happen to have a few acreage under permaculture cultivation in Trans-Nzoia county, just at the foot of Mt. Elgon. I like my dad, like planting trees and ever so often when I travel upcountry, I tend to carry with me a few tree seedlings.
Every year, I have noted that the trees we plant as a family during a ‘we-are-at-home-so-lets-do-a-tree-planting-ceremony’, a year later, when we go back home, we find that those trees have died. Of course, there has been repeated disappointment to see trees that were once planted a while back (with good intent) never saw the light of day. We then, regrettably embark on planting other trees. To note is that this ‘sombre replanting’ happens at least annually, even when effort to water the seedlings were made.
That brings me to the next point of the investment. On average, replanting may be done a year or two later. For every two trees planted, it is likely that one of them has to be planted again (or even both) so as to counter that shortfall/pre-mature loss of the tree that was planted in the previous year. This replanting, multiple times got me thinking about the cost. My estimates suggest that it is indeed a steep cost to the average farmer.
Here is the math:
If one is going to buy a quality tree seedling for KES.200 it is not surprising that in two to three years, one may find themselves replanting once or twice more in the very same hole of the one that died. This extra investment is never factored for and most people don’t anticipate it. KES.600/- spent in 3 years for just one ‘set’ of tree seedlings is an expensive affair for most African farmers. Also time is lost over that ‘wait we see’ period.
Another example is a personal one. A note is that this is the classic case of the ‘telephone farmer’. I made an attempted to invest in Hass avocado farming in 2019, under no irrigation. However, I was cautious this time round to hire someone dedicated to take the care and watering of the avocado orchard. Surprising the very same loss was noted; for every two trees one plants, I found that we had to replace one of them in the subsequent year or the next. In short, replanting would occur between a quarter to a half of the total number of trees in the orchard spanning the 3 years.
Here is the multiplier effect for the above example;
A one acre orchard of Hass avocados requires 150 seedlings, each seedling costs KES. 150. This a total of KES.22,500. Suppose half die, in the subsequent year, one may spend an extra KES. 11,250. On year three, another quarter may die, incurring an additional cost of KES. 5,625. Therefore, the actual cost of Hass avocado farming is actually not a one-off fee of KES. 22,500 but rather KES. 39,375 over a period of time! This means that on average, the total cost of tree planting is approximately 75% more than what is anticipate.
Based on the examples posed above, I wish to iterate, and confirm that Duguma’s statement is spot on. Stopping at tree planting is not enough. We need to be sensitise about the underlying disadvantages and hidden costs associated with raising trees. This is in order to be better equipped to ensure that the trees planted reach full maturity; before we even begin to think about the benefits. Otherwise, tree planting initiatives shall remain ceremonial and a nice ‘sustainability buzz’ word.
Governments, forestry stakeholders, tree nurseries and individual farmers ought to start championing initiatives that are grounded on the more long term approach that facilitates tree growth. This is not only for the sustainable preservation of the natural environment; but also hasten humanities response and efforts in combating the challenges of climate change.
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Teresa Lubano is the founder and creative director, The Nanjala Company. An e-commerce shop for gardening and home decor that supports Kenyan artisans.
1Science Direct. Achieving mitigation and adaptation to climate change through sustainable agroforestry practices in Africa. Authored by Cheikh Mbow, Pete Smith, David Skole, Lalisa Duguma and Mercedes Bustamante. Published online 12th October 2013. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877343513001255
2World Agroforestry. Forget tree planting, start tree growing. Published online 22nd, June 2019. https://www.worldagroforestry.org/blog/2019/06/22/forget-tree-planting-start-tree-growing