Every year in Africa, nearly 3 million hectares of forests are lost and sixty five percent (65%) of the land is affected by degradation. An estimated 3 percent of GDP is lost annually from soil and nutrient depletion on cropland. This places forest loss and land degradation among the key challenges facing Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA).
Exacerbated by climate change and poor management of agricultural lands, forest degradation threatens the water supplies and ecological functions vital to all SSA economies. Rural smallholder farmers and households suffer the most from degraded land as they cannot finance counter-measures if there is disruption or loss of stable weather patterns, healthy soils, tree cover and water.
This edition of the FAO‘s Nature & Faune journal explores the science and innovations (technical, social and policy) that can support the achievement of this African dream.
Articles share experiences on challenges, opportunities and successful restoration, including farmer managed natural regeneration, improved management of smallholder woodlots, reforestation, evergreen agriculture with inter-cropped trees, and associated sustainable land management practices such as water harvesting and erosion control.
Photo courtesy of FAO.