Revitalization of a traditional agricultural practice known as farmer managed natural regeneration is bringing new life to millions of acres of degraded land while boosting food, fuel, habitat and carbon storage. Around the world, more than 2 billion hectares (nearly 5 billion acres) of land — an area larger than Russia — are degraded. Degradation can take many forms: clearing of forests, soil erosion or the decline of nutrients in the soil, all of which result in less productive land. The loss of soil fertility is dragging down agricultural yields, especially for poor farmers who cannot invest in fertilizers to replace the natural nutrients that are washed away when soil erodes.

In the early and mid-1980s, soil fertility fell in marginal areas surrounding the Sahara Desert in Africa as people cut trees to make room for agriculture, and soil loss accelerated. Simultaneously, this dry region experienced severe droughts, leading to a massive famine. An estimated one million people died in Ethiopia alone.

As worldwide attentiveness waned, a practice known as farmer managed natural regeneration — FMNR — took root in the sands. Farmers saw that trees and bushes could protect fields from harsh winds that blew crop seeds away. Trees that captured nitrogen from the air allowed soils to regenerate and become more productive. Fields where vegetation remained were producing much more than areas that had been entirely cleared.
There’s nothing new about [FMNR]. It’s a traditional method of coppicing that has existed for centuries,” says Tony Rinaudo, principal natural resource advisor for World Vision Australia.
Soon FMNR is going to get a big boost, with the Grand African Savannah Green Up project set to invest US$85 million in FMNR. What’s more, a new Trillion Trees initiative launched at Davos has enormous goals for reforesting landscapes. With big money going to FMNR and the big expectations that come along with that investment, it’s important to understand what FMNR is and when and where it might be a good choice for working with, rather than against, nature to meet human needs.

Many Benefits. In Niger, about 5 million hectares (12.3 million acres) of degraded Sahel landscapes have seen an increase in the number of trees. Tree type varies depending on the local ecology and people’s preferences, but includes species like Faidherbia albida, a nitrogen-fixing tree, and the baobab tree.

“It’s estimated that farmers are growing an additional 500,000 metric tons (550,000 tons) of grain a year through FMNR [in Niger]. The gross income is increased by about US$900 million per year, without inputs or subsidies,” says Rinaudo. That additional production enabled by FMNR supplies grain to 2.5 million people.

Although FMNR is showing green shoots of success in many countries, it won’t work just anywhere. For one thing, it requires seed banks, old stumps or other natural means of regeneration. For another, Rinaudo says, it makes most sense in semi-arid areas. A wide variety of species, especially exotic species, can thrive in humid areas, he says, while in drier regions indigenous trees tend to be best adapted to the difficult local conditions.