The effects of climate change on food security and livelihoods are visible in rural communities, where people rely heavily on natural resources for survival. Unregulated exploitation of these resources often leads to negative environmental outcomes, further worsening the impacts of climate change. To strike a balance, efforts must be directed towards building environmental resilience while promoting income diversification for smallholder farmers.

The Smallholders Agriculture Market Support (SAMS) project works with farmer cooperatives to counteract the harmful effects of human activities through climate-smart agriculture. A key part of this approach is planting fruit tree seedlings, which not only yield economic benefits but also help absorb carbon and improve the environment.

Leading this effort is the Nagbimo Primary Cooperative in Nzara, a group of 15 female and 10 male farmers responding to frequent flooding in their area. The cooperative has raised 1,500 avocado and orange seedlings to restore trees lost to deforestation. While the fruit trees will provide a new income stream for these farmers, they will also help mitigate climate change by contributing to carbon absorption.

Jovana Natale, a 20-year-old single mother from Nzara, has personally felt the impact of climate change. She shared, “Floods destroy our homes, and unpredictable dry spells ruin our crops. This deepens poverty, especially for single mothers like me.” She encourages others to join in planting trees to enhance afforestation and adapt to climate variability.

Victor Nyoko, SAMS program coordinator, highlighted the dual goals of the initiative:

“We are helping farmer groups plant fruit trees to replace the trees cut down for farming, while also boosting their incomes and nutrition through increased fruit production. It’s a win-win for the environment and for livelihoods.”

Creating a sustainable environment requires collective action. Tree planting is a vital contribution that everyone must make to ensure a resilient future for generations to come.