[ad_1]
- Gorongosa National Park is being reforested with the help of shade coffee and other agroforestry crops.
- Traded internationally, Gorongosa Coffee and other related companies employ many local and indigenous people through this regenerative form of agriculture.
- The park’s plantations are also beneficial to wildlife: in addition to the birds that frequently visit the agroforestry forests, these patches are home to numerous species, including a couple new to science just described, including a species of bat.
- Agroforestry is the intentional planting of crops such as coffee and cashew among other woody perennials such as rainforest trees, in this example: this type of agriculture also sequesters a lot of carbon from the atmosphere, helping to slow change. climate.
Gorongosa National Park has a long history, from its beginnings 60 years ago to being the battlefield of Mozambique’s subsequent civil war, to its recent revitalization and commitment to the human community that lives within its borders.
The park recruits local people into administration at all levels, and also focuses on developing schools and girls empowerment programs, so in this context it seems natural that the park will involve residents in a new restorative agriculture company that also serves to reforest the slopes of Mount Gorongosa, through agroforestry.
Matt Jordan is well prepared to lead this project, having served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mozambique after earning degrees in environmental engineering, and believes that the destiny of human societies and the natural world are intertwined and can prosper together. Today, he serves as the park’s Director of Sustainable Development, which includes overseeing projects like Gorongosa Coffee, and answered a few questions via email – his responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Mongabay: What crops are you planting within the park boundaries?
Matt Jordan: We plant shade grown Arabica coffee within the park boundaries, interspersed with native hardwood trees such as East African mahogany (Khaya anthoteca), titi (Erythrina lisistemon), albiziaAlbizia adianthifolia), muonha (Breonadia salicina), bank bankMillettia stuhlmannii) and muscleBridelia micrantha) to provide the necessary shade for the coffee trees and restore the forest.
In the interval before coffee is productive for farmers, we support families with various seeds for crop rotation such as beans and corn, and through horticulture. Alongside the restored coffee forests there are direct reforestation plots, particularly around river systems. Additionally, farmers implement permaculture on much of the land cultivated with coffee, conserving soil and moisture to improve yields.
How are these activities compatible with the objectives and mission of the park?
All agricultural activities supported by the park are regenerative. The park supports three main value chains: shade coffee, cashew in the communities around the park, and honey. Both coffee and cashews are perennial trees that contribute to the reforestation of areas devastated by logging for unsustainable crops.
Through these programs, the park supports farmers throughout the production phase with inputs and technical assistance. All inputs are favorable to conservation and all agricultural practices taught to farmers are considered climate smart (intercropping, crop rotation, and others).
Under the honey program, it helps local communities with additional income, as well as understanding the importance of bees as main pollinators.
At a high level, this combination of interventions (with local support, with climate-resilient markets and practices), it can lead to a virtual value chain for smallholders linked to regenerative agricultural practices and thus create a sense of stewardship and prosperity for both biodiversity and the communities.
Who owns the land that is being cultivated? Are farmers secure for their future?
Indigenous or local peoples own the land where these products are grown, although the park has some model fields where technicians grow these products with the help of local workers, creating jobs. The objective of the park is to start working with associations (of farmers) and Mozambican law protects the right to land of the local population, even those who do not have the formal DUAT (Direito de Uso e Aproveitamento de Terra) documentation.
Where and how are coffee beans, honey and cashews traded and consumed?
Gorongosa coffee is marketed in Mozambique, the United States and Europe. The global market has been extremely receptive and delighted to experience these products at home. We are working to be the first organic honey exported from Mozambique; currently, honey is marketed and consumed in Mozambique.
According to the cashew, the program has just come out of the pilot phase after three years of work on the proof of concept, therefore this will be the first year the park will harvest and buy cashews from local communities.
A style of regenerative agriculture that sequesters a lot of atmospheric carbon, agroforestry is also home to a lot of biodiversity – a species of bat new to science that lives amongst your plantations has just been described, right?
The most exciting thing is that coffee forests are regaining biodiversity. Ongoing research projects are showing that just a few years after establishment, these ‘agroforests’ host up to 80% of the biodiversity found in the rainforest. That is an amazing result.
Mount Gorongosa, where coffee is grown, is home to a myriad of endemic species, including a new gecko for science, and a new bat, along with numerous invertebrates.
Since Gorongosa is a national park, how do you manage the interaction between these animals and crops?
The project of coexistence between humans and animals is fundamental for the park. Most of the animals cannot reach the areas where the coffee is produced, as they are high up (i.e. Mount Gorongosa).
However, in the lowlands, we have championed an innovative solution that uses beehive fencing as an effective deterrent for elephants to enter farmland. Not only does it help protect people’s crops, honey itself has economic and nutritional value, as well as protecting pollinators. We are in the process of building the largest beehive fence in the world and producing high quality specialty honey.
See related: Agroforestry ‘home gardens’ foster community resilience in southern Ethiopia
How many people or families are employed by the agroforestry project so far and what is the vision for the future?
Currently there are around 5,000 small farmers who benefit directly from the coffee, honey and cashew nut programs, since they receive production inputs, technical assistance and have a safe and fair market to sell their products. Additionally, around 5,000 small farmers receive technical support and inputs for horticultural and livestock activities.
We currently also employ 300 seasonal workers (which is great for coffee because the harvest takes place out of season) and the sustainable development department has more than 100 employees. In the near future, we will incorporate sustainable forestry (30 additional jobs) and seek to make sustainable hives for local communities. We are also in the design phase of Mozambique’s first organic cashew processing facility. Our goal there is to have 1,000 employees in the next five years, fundamentally transforming the opportunities available around Gorongosa National Park.
Does Gorongosa Coffee offer growers options to expand their operations over time?
Gorongosa Coffee grows around 100 hectares a year and adds around 200 new farmers every year. Our goal is to reach more than 1,000 hectares. We will have to be this big because we hope to restore 8,000 hectares of rainforest, using coffee production as a catalyst for more regeneration opportunities in the mountains.
This also includes the possibility of mountain sightseeing, so visitors can experience the flavors of coffee and then enjoy the wild landscapes and Gorongosa lions and elephants.
Banner Image: coffee harvest within the Gorongosa National Park. Image courtesy of Brett Kuxhausen.
This report is part of Mongabay’s ongoing coverage of trends in global agroforestry, view the full series here.
