PhD title: Assessing benefits and opportunities from tree planting in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania
Twitter: @mooreofeleanor; Email: e.s.moore2@newcastle.ac.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-moore-0a6740182/
Maintaining and restoring tree cover in crop-production landscapes (agroforestry) can enhance both the provision of ecosystem services and the resilience of smallholder farmers and their livelihoods to climate change. However, tree cover restoration in landscapes with high population growth and associated demands for natural resources is challenging. Moreover, ecological and social constraints can hamper the success of any restoration intervention. My study landscape is the agricultural corridor in the Kilombero Valley that separates the forests of the Udzungwa Mountains from the Selous Game Reserve in Southern Tanzania. This landscape is part of the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT), a Public-Private Partnership that focuses on industry-driven agricultural intensification to reduce poverty and improve food security.
My research is being conducted in partnership with both the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Reforest Africa, NGOs active in the Kilombero Valley. The central theme will be to look into the costs and benefits of tree planting from the perspective of smallholder farmers using participatory methods that combine both social and ecological sciences. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to restoration planning for the valley and provide knowledge that can be used to improve on the ground restoration projects.