Elvis Tah
4 December 2008
The African and Caribbean Programme Manager of Tree For the Future (TFTF), a US-based environmental NGO, Ethan Budiansky, has qualified Cameroon as a model in tree planting in Africa.
Budiansky made this appraisal recently in a press briefing organised to evaluate his two-week sojourn in Cameroon.According to the American environmentalist, TFTF, under the supervision of its Programme Coordinator in Cameroon Louis Nkembi, has been working with farmers in the Northwest, Southwest and Western regions of Cameroon, at the local level, to ensure a sustainable agro-forestry.
Budiansky stated that during the launching of TFTF last year, they were targeting to plant some 650.000 trees but ended up planting 2 million trees in Cameroon, thanks to the collaboration of the local farmers.
"The trees are going to help the local farmers to improve on the soil fertility, protection against erosion as well as building the ecosystem," said Budiansky. He observed that in some parts of Cameroon, especially in the Western region which is dominated by cocoa farmers, the people are very much involved in tree planting but for the fact that they need proper sensitisation.
The environmentalist said TFTF provided agro-forestry seedlings to farmers and also sensitised them on tree sustainability. Budiansky told the press that TFTF has also engaged the farmers in the planting of multi-purpose fast growing trees.
He said the species grow continuously and faster such that as they are harvested for fuel wood, they are replaced immediately, making sure that they are sustainable."Trees contain medicinal substances and constitute animal habitat. Unsustainable land use, increase deforestation, extension into forest regions is a serious problem for Cameroon and the world.
Global climate change is something that is seriously affecting the world and if we as an entity don't address the problem locally and globally, it will result to a serious consequence in the nearest future," Budiansky said.
He told reporters that TFTF in the days ahead, will be working with local farmers in Lebialem Division where according to him; there is an ape habitat, to develop a sustainable development scheme aimed at protecting the animals.
"Through the scheme, we are going to ensure that farmers around that area do not continuously cut down trees and deprive the primates of their habitat," said Budiansky.
On his part, Nkembi stated that the demand for tree seedlings increased from about 650.000 last year, to two million this year. He attributed this increase to the willingness and involvement of the farmers in agro-forestry.
He disclosed that plans are afoot to set up 21 agro-forestry networks in the country.
Nkembi stated that they are also going to introduce tree planting to some secondary schools in Cameroon.
"We have already planted over 10.000 trees in 8 pilot schools around Fako Division," Nkembi stated.
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