Globally, forest and trees contribute significantly to the very survival of people and the planet.
Literature also has it that forests and trees further create the necessary environment for clean air and water as well as conserving biodiversity and responding to climate change.
Additionally, it is also on records that Forest acts as sources of food, medicine and fuel for more than a billion people in the world.
Speaking to the Radio Ghana at durbar of chiefs held at the Tongo community in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region involving Tindanas( custodians of the land) and Partners of the Talensi Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration FMNR known as “Tintuug Legbe Tiig” in the local parlance, the Project Manager Samuel Abasiba explained that The Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration FMNR is a World Vision International land restoration technique.
He explained further that the concept is a low cost land restoration technique that combats poverty and hunger among subsisting farmers by increasing food, timber reproduction and resilience to climate extremes.
It involves organized re-growth and management of trees and shrubs from felled tree stumps, and sprouting root systems.
He pointed out that the aim of the project is to improve house hold food security and resilience among the people in the district, through improvement of the environmental conditions using the FMNR concept.
Mr. Abasiba indicated that, the project has, introduced a number of sound environmental management and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPS), based on available local knowledge and local context to address environmental management issues constraining on-farm food production and post-harvest loses.
He stated that, the project delivery approach has nurtured the participation of all key stakeholders, community leaders, farmers in the Talensi Distirct and its relevant agencies such as schools, religious bodies, Non-Governmental Organizations NGOs and Community Based Organizations CBOs to constantly review strategies for FMNR, scaling up and adaption to local context.
On the uptake of FMNR, Abasiba stated that, the project has trained about One thousand 200 lead farmers in 57 communities on the FMNR technique, who has adopted the practice and have restored seven hundred and 50 hectares of degraded lands and a further One thousand 500 hectares of FMNR on farmlands.
He said their intervention has help reduce bush fires, increase soil fertility, crops and livestock production, Beekeeping, access to credit value chain development advocacy against expensive funeral.
The challenges he stressed, still remains bush fires, felling of trees, surface mining and expensive funerals and festivals.
Story by Emmanuel Akayeti
