Conserving forests with sustainable activities

Strengthening Sustainable Livelihoods and Forest Management Project

Ethiopia's forests support a large number of plant, animal and bird species. In addition to this unique biodiversity, millions of people rely on the forests to earn a living. However, for many years, this has been in the form of families who have been forced to cut down trees to sell the wood, and create grazing land in order to survive. 

There are however many other forest resources such as honey, bamboo, spices and wild coffee that with the right tools and training, these families can use as an alternative way to earn money for food. 

FARM-Africa has been working with forest communities for many years, helping them to work with local governments and other forest users to develop these sustainable income sources.  This means there is no longer a reliance on selling timber based products, and communities are in a position to develop and implement sustainable forest management plans to protect these areas for future generations. 

FARM-Africa's Strengthening Sustainable Livelihoods and Forest Management Project seeks to take the model of good-practice in Participatory Forest Management and replicate our previous successes with communities in the Oromiya Region.  At the same time we will work with the forest communities to find the best ways for them to earn a living from the forest resources.

How are communities benefiting?

Communities will be working together with local governments to protect the forest resources for generations to come, and develop formal forest management plans that can be implemented by both the community and local government.

• Communities will learn how to take traditional activities such as raffia weaving, making bamboo furniture and honey production and turn them into profit making enterprises.  FARM-Africa will also help communities find the very best markets for these products so that they can achieve a good price.
• Alternative ways to earn a living that don't over-exploit forest resources will mean that communities can get involved with protecting their habitat. For example, communities will be taught to make stoves that use significantly less firewood.
• Communities will ultimately take responsibility for the long-term preservation of their homes, and work with local governments to develop formal management plans for the forests.

Who are we helping?

The project will benefit nearly three million people who are dependent on the forest, by helping them to both conserve the forest and generate income. In addition, we are working with government to help to find ways to secure the long-term sustainability of forest conservation in Ethiopia.

Project partners

FARM-Africa will work together with SOS Sahel Ethiopia, Forum for Environment (FFE) and MELCA Mahiber.

Conserving forests with sustainable activities

Strengthening Sustainable Livelihoods and Forest Management

FARM-Africa Participatory Forest Management models draws upon our experience over many years of working with communities living in and around Chilimo Forest.

As in many other areas, forest communities in Chilimo have previously been forced to over-exploit their forest resources in order to survive. Consequently, deforestation has been a huge problem. FARM-Africa has been working with communities living around Chilimo forest, helping them find alternative ways to earn a living that do not over-exploit natural resources, and develop formal forest management plans.

Derera's story

Derera and his family left their home in Chilimo Forest due to civil unrest. When they returned years later, they had nothing - no home, no food, and no land to farm. Derera was forced to illegally fell trees, chop them into firewood and carry them 12 kilometres on his back to the market. There, he received just 20 birr (£1.30) for his wood - barely enough to buy food for his family.

As part of FARM-Africa's forest management work in the area, tree nurseries were being set up in order to replenish lost resources and provide a more sustainable supply of wood for the future. Derera secured a job at the tree nursery where he earned a much better wage that covered his essential household expenses.

With the money he earned, Derera set about building his own business rearing sheep and selling the lambs. With the money he made he rented some farmland and began growing crops. He then joined a co-operative group for farmers that FARM-Africa had helped to set up. He borrowed money from the co-operative, which he invested in fertilizers, improved seeds and farmland.

Derera has repaid all the money he borrowed. He now owns two cows, two oxen, two horses, five milking sheep, half a hectare of eucalyptus woodlot, some farmland and has a decent home for his family.

Derera has also learnt about the benefits of preserving the forest, and is now taking a lead role in his local forest management group. By sharing his experience with others and helping them where he can, he is now playing an active role in helping his community protect their forest for future generations.

In his own words

Derera describes how his life has changed: "During the earlier time while I had finished one tree for sale, my eye marked the other tree to cut the next day without caring for it. I regret my past actions. So I share my experience to educate other people not to repeat the same crime against forest resources. Now, forest smuggling livelihoods have become a past history and we have diverse means of livelihood."

Policy and Research

From Grassroots to Government: FARM-Africa’s experiences influencing policy in sub-Saharan Africa
Adobe PDF - 781kb

Best Practices

The Key Steps in Establishing Participatory Forest Management
Adobe PDF - 448kb

Working Papers

14. Scaling-up Success - FARM-Africa\'s new strategy for development
Adobe PDF - 444kb