Forest Gardens - Mount Elgon

This project is tackling land degradation, food insecurity, and poverty by training farmers in the sustainable Forest Garden Approach (FGA). In Uganda, local farmers work to plant millions of trees and learn over four years how to restore their land, diversify crops, and strengthen their livelihoods.

Decades of unsustainable farming have left land unproductive, nutrient-poor, and unable to provide for farming families. Through this project, over 700 farmers will cultivate Forest Gardens, planting more than 2 million trees in the process.

Forest Gardens combine thousands of trees with dozens of food and resource crops, creating thriving ecosystems that sequester carbon, enhance biodiversity, improve food access, and generate steady income. Farmers integrate these gardens alongside their commodity crops, reducing pressure on native forests while building a resilient food system.

Each Forest Garden averages 1 acre, cared for by a single farmer or family. Around 2,500 trees are planted per garden, starting with a “Living Fence” around the perimeter in the first two years, followed by strategic plantings in years three and four to maximize impact. Over 20 years, an average Forest Garden offsets 144.64 metric tons of CO₂.

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