Girma Legesse now secures good prices for his forest coffee by selling through the market connections his cooperative has established. (Image source: Farm Africa)

A recent report by NGO Farm Africa outlines how a transformative forest conservation and sustainable agriculture initiative in south-eastern Ethiopia has concluded with striking success

Through sustainable coffee production and alternative income sources, the three-year Farm Africa project in the ecologically vital Ilu Ababor Zone of Ethiopia’s Oromia Regional State has protected natural forests while improving the livelihoods of 4,000 people. This zone plays a critical role regionally in water regulation and globally in carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. 

Implemented in partnership with government agencies and working closely with local Participatory Forest Management Cooperatives (PFMCs), Farm Africa’s project developed economic incentives for 15 forest-dependent communities living in conservation ‘hotspots’ in the area to protect the forests. The traditional practice of harvesting wild forest coffee, which thrives in the shade of forest trees, preserves biodiversity and reduces deforestation by giving coffee farmers an incentive to protect the forest. 

Key outcomes of the project include:

• 43% reduction in the average annual deforestation rate 
• 45% real-value increase in forest coffee income among coffee producers
• 15% real-value increase in average household incomes (including non-coffee producers)  
• Alignment of PFMC bylaws with national forest policy 
• Shift in average household dietary diversity category from ‘medium’ to ‘high’

“The Forest Coffee project shows that protecting nature doesn’t have to mean sacrificing income. With ingenuity we can grow profitable new income streams rooted in production methods that restore and protect our ecosystems,” said Farm Africa project coordinator, Teferra Amare. “This integrated model of conservation and business development offers a powerful blueprint for other forested regions facing economic and ecological challenges.”

Farmers in Kenya use Boomitra’s mobile app to track their fields and carbon performance as part of the East Africa Croplands Project. (Image source: Boomitra)

Earthshot prize winner and global carbon project development leader, Boomitra’s East Africa Carbon Farming Project was officially registered with Verra, a globally recognised leading carbon credit standard

This marks Boomitra’s second Verra registration this year and the first company to have Verra-registered soil carbon projects in both grasslands and croplands, powered by an AI and satellite-based MRV system. This demonstrates the scalability, precision, and cost-effectiveness of Boomitra’s technology, opening the door to greater farmer participation and climate impact.

Spanning multiple counties across western and central Kenya, the East Africa Carbon Farming Project supports nearly 1,000 smallholder farmers across 44,673 acres, who are utilising regenerative practices for soil health restoration and carbon sequestration. The project is estimated to remove 88,294 tonnes of CO₂ annually, with total removals expected to exceed 1.7 million tonnes throughout the length of the project. Implemented in collaboration with Yara East Africa, Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA) in collaboration with the Cereal Growers Association, and the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN), the project focuses on training and supporting farmers in adopting regenerative practices that improve soil carbon and crop productivity.

These partners play an essential role in farmer outreach, capacity building, and field-level implementation. Together, they help ensure that Boomitra’s AI-powered carbon monitoring tools and regenerative practices are accessible even to farmers managing just one acre, maximising both climate impact and community resilience across Kenya’s agricultural regions.

“With Verra project registrations now in both grasslands and croplands, our proven tech is delivering scalable carbon removal and income to smallholder farmers across continents,” said CEO and founder of Boomitra, Aadith Moorthy. He highlighted that this would be a great moment, both for Boomitra and the entire soil carbon ecosystem. Boomitra’s technology also unlocks the potential of soil, which is regarded as one of the most immediate and underutilised carbon sinks of the planet. Through a Verra-approved monitoring system that uses remote sensing and machine learning, Boomitra’s technology can help quantify soil carbon, thereby drastically reducing the need for expensive sampling.

By making monitoring more affordable and accurate, Boomitra ensures that more revenue flows directly to the farmers implementing regenerative practices, in turn boosting yields, resilience, and food security while fighting climate change.

One of the trainers, Dermas Siltan, noted that this training would greatly enhance soil fertility and agricultural productivity. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

A training programme on the production of organic fertilisers and pesticides was held for members of the national service training centre from 27 April to 3 May in Sawa

The theoretical and practical sessions were organised by the Ministry of Agriculture under the theme 'Our Waste is Our Resource.' 

One of the trainers, Dermas Siltan, said the training focused on the production of solid and liquid fertilisers, natural pesticides, and livestock treatment methods, while also addressing the impacts of chemical pesticides. He noted that this training would greatly enhance soil fertility and agricultural productivity.

Andebrhan Tedros, chairman of the committee overseeing the programme, stressed the importance of utilising locally available materials for producing organic fertilisers and pesticides. Trainees called for similar training programmes to be extended nationwide, for greater control over the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and for the provision of organic alternatives to farmers at fair prices.

Partners acknowledged the value of the commodity approach in advancing the transformation agenda and supporting the producers' progress towards commercialisation. (Image source: Adobe Stock))

The Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) recently had a meeting with commodity partners to renew their Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for another five years

This allows commodity organisations to continue to support new farmers with advice, mentorship, training, inputs, market access, and mutual in-kind contributions. Agreements were signed with a number of organisations such as the National Wool Growers Association (NWGA), Deciduous Fruit Producers Trust (DFPT), Potatoes SA, and Raisins SA, among others. Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer, commented on these agreements and emphasised their crucial role in addressing the agricultural sector's complex challenges. 

According to Dr Mogale Sebopetsa, head of the WCDoA, the partnership with commodity organisations aims to promote capacity-building, mentorship, market access and resource mobilisation to support the commercialisation of new farmers in the Western Cape. Partners acknowledged the value of the commodity approach in advancing the transformation agenda and supporting the producers' progress towards commercialisation.

One such partner, Mariette Kotzé, Group Operations manager at Hortgro spoke out about the immeasurable impact the partnership had had and the difference it has brought about since its commencement in 2009. Moreover, has created an enabling environment for growers.  

"The MoUs solidify our joint commitment to transform the agricultural sector, grow the economy and create jobs", concluded Minister Meyer.