Ethiopia is one of the planet’s poorest countries. Over the last 50 years, it has lost 90% of its forestland and thousands of species are now under threat
Reviving forests with Green Ethiopia
Due to its population growth and the acceleration of its economic development, Ethiopia is prone to deforestation problems. This phenomenon endangers thousands of species and causes drought and famine in the territory. In the hope of stopping the cycle of hunger, Irène Pfitser-Hauri created the Green Ethiopia Foundation in 2000.
The project
48 million is the number of trees that the Green Ethiopia Foundation wants to plant by 2023 in an emergency reforestation program. It is a program that aims to fight against soil erosion, drought and infertility. Since 2009, the Fondation Yves Rocher has been committed to financing this reforestation project in 4 regions of Ethiopian territory. Thus, women farmers in the Tigray, Oromia, Amhara and Southern Nations regions can benefit from support to develop their agroforestry projects.
More than 46 million trees planted so far have, among other things, allowed water to better infiltrate the soil, making it more fertile. Soil erosion can also be contained, limiting damage to crop fields. With more accessible and fertile soils, fruit and vegetable yields increase. Thus, families can feed themselves and supply the commercial sectors.
A few words about the NGO
The Green Ethiopia Foundation was created in 2000 by Irène Pfister-Hauri, winner of the 2009 Terre de Femmes International Prize. Its mission is to reforest the country, in particular by planting trees and raising awareness among local communities. The main objective: to improve their standard of living. Since 2009, the Fondation Yves Rocher has supported Irène in her beautiful project.
Learn more about Green Ethiopia : http://greenethiopia.org/fr
Planting trees against famine
In the agrarian systems of the densely populated rural areas of southern Ethiopia, tree occupies a central place. It is part of the production of wood, fruit, fodder, the maintenance of fertility and biodiversity. The population of this area is set to double in the next 40 years. This has already resulted in the acceleration of a process of deforestation, and the erosion of soils and natural resources. Consequently, the balance between the needs of families and their animals or the available resources is upset. These phenomena expose many families to food insecurity. The Interaide association has decided to act in these regions by planting trees there.
The project
The objective of the collaboration between Interaide and the Fondation is to promote the integration of diversified hedgerows within farms. It also involves supporting the rehabilitation of degraded communal land by planting trees. It is a project that not only includes an ecological component but also aims to respond to social and economic issues. Indeed, Interaide volunteers support communities of rural families to:
- increase the diversification of their resources
- increase biomass production
- improve soil fertility management.
To fulfill these objectives, the association has set up activities revolving around 2 main axes:
- development of agroforestry practices on farms
- restoration of degraded communal lands.
With this project, Interaide aspires to bring out and evaluate, with farming families and local actors, reforestation solutions.
With Interaide, it is planned to plant 660,000 trees !
A few words about the NGO
InterAide is an association leading support projects of families farming for more than 30 years. These actions include activities related to reforestation and trees maintenance. The association implements soil conservation activities, development of fruit production, reforestation of degraded plots. Its first tree-planting activities were carried out in the 1980s in Haiti.
Find out more about Interaide : http://interaide.org/
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