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Using Agroforestry to save the planet
Agroforestry—the use of trees in farming—benefits both farmers and the environment. According to a recent report by Biodiversity International, the Center for International Forestry Research, the World Agroforestry Centre, and Charles Sturt University, forests contribute to the livelihoods of more than 1.6 billion people. Yet, 30 percent of the world’s forests are used primarily for the production of wood […] Continue Reading
Bringing better biodigesters and clean energy to Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to suffer from a major energy deficit, with hundreds of millions of people lacking access to electricity and clean cooking fuels. There is a great need for innovative mechanisms that can help families access clean and affordable energy. The Carbon Initiative for Development (Ci-Dev) is one such mechanism. A $125 million fund […] Continue Reading
The smart money is going green
The world economy is moving in a low-carbon direction, drawing investors to carbon-intensive sectors. This is attributed to innovations that lower the price of renewable energy much faster than anticipated. The cost of solar panels for example has had an 80% decrease since 2008, and solar and wind energy can now compete on cost with […] Continue Reading
Agriculture is in every SDG
Skimming the eye across the colourful chart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is easy to spot a couple which are intrinsically and directly linked to agriculture, but a closer look reveals that they are in fact all linked to agriculture. A healthy global agricultural sector underpins and supports so many aims of the […] Continue Reading
Creating an Evergreen food-energy system for rural electrification
‘All of the planet’s energy originally derives from solar radiation. Trees are one of the most effective ways of harnessing the sun and turning it into usable energy, and trees can do this in a truly renewable way.’ Philip Dobie and Navin Sharma. World Agroforestry Centre Electrical Power with Food Security Benefits Six hundred million […] Continue Reading
Land Degradation: A Pathway to Nourishing the Future Is Found in Africa
In the Sahel region, millions of hectares have been regenerated by smallholder farmers practicing agroforestry, soil and water conservation, soil fertility management, and sustainable forest management. Similar results have been achieved in the Horn of Africa and the Southern Africa region, where the legume tree known as Fadherbia albida is being used for soil fertility […] Continue Reading