Toute l'actualitéInitiated in January 2020, our reforestation and agroforestry project in Ivory Coast is conducted in the field by our technical partner Agro-Map. After the establishment of nurseries and a first planting phase carried out last May, 123,333 additional trees were planted in and around the classified forest of Séguié, between July and September 2020. The objective : to restore 90 hectares of degraded forests and to create agroforestry systems on 400 hectares alongside local cocoa producers.
Restoring degraded forests and ensuring their preservation
The classified forest of Séguié, of which 75% is degraded, is located near the villages associated with the project. Forest patches have been restored over an area of 30 hectares, in order to alleviate the growing pressure on the protected areas. A total of 34,875 trees of various local forest species, such as fraké and framiré, have been planted by local communities. The classified forest of Séguié is now sustainably managed by Ivory Coast Water and Forest Organization to ensure its preservation in the coming years. At the same time, 60 hectares of surrounding community forests have also been restored through the planting of 72,000 trees including fraké, framiré, cedrela, teak and acacia.
Associating trees and cocoa cultivation
Local producers have planted 16,458 trees in their cocoa fields to create genuine agroforestry systems over 411 hectares in total, bringing many benefits. Among the planted species, leguminous species such as acacia and gliricidia were planted as quickset hedges in the fields, and will provide fodder for livestock and shade for the underlying cocoa trees. These trees will also, in the long term, provide local people with firewood while avoiding cutting the wild forest of Seguié down. Fruit species such as akpi and small cola, also planted in agroforestry, will both protect the underlying crops and generate additional income for the population through the sale of the fruits.
Monitoring tree growth and raising community awareness
The planting season, which follows the rainy season, is over for 2020. Agro-Map is now focusing on the mapping of the reforested areas and on the maintenance of the planted trees, in order to ensure their growth in the best conditions possible. At the same time, our technical partner keeps raising awareness among local communities about the importance of preserving their forests, while training them in fire risks, especially by teaching them the right actions to avoid fire, such as by setting up buffer zones.
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