Agroforestry for People, Peace and Prosperity Project is designed to contribute to the restoration of productive forest and agroforest landscapes and the improvement of community livelihoods in coffee-growing regions of southern Ethiopia. The project is funded by Korea Forest Service and implemented by Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Ethiopia in partnership with the local Environment and Coffee Forest Forum and government institutions. Recognizing the interconnectedness of environmental health, economic well-being, and peace building, the project works to address them together. Specifically, it works to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from deforestation and forest degradation, which are significant contributors to climate change.

This reduction is achieved through on-the-ground activities that prevent further forest loss and promote sustainable land management practices.  Concurrently, the project aims to increase emission removals, effectively capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, through the active restoration of degraded forests.  This involves reforestation efforts, assisted natural regeneration, and other strategies tailored to the specific ecological context.  Furthermore, the project supports the establishment and revitalization of coffee agroforests, which integrate coffee cultivation with trees, providing economic, environmental and peace building benefits.

The project aims to restore forest ecosystems in the Oromia and South Ethiopia Peoples’ regions and create a stable source of income for local communities by promoting the restoration of 1,000 hectares (ha) of forest and coffee agroforest landscapes and coffee businesses. The project aims to achieve the following objectives:

– Restore degraded forests and coffee agroforest landscapes through enrichment planting and afforestation/reforestation by strengthening community-based organizations, building capacity among implementing partners, and supporting nursery establishment and seedling raising.

– Improve coffee quality through improved production practices, processing, and handling.

– Improve coffee cooperatives’ competencies through capacity-building training and market linkage and increase access to water and electricity to improve efficiency.

Ethiopia’s coffee sector, the birthplace of coffee and a cornerstone of its economy and culture, faces critical challenges that necessitate interventions focused on coffee forest and agroforestry conservation. Coffee, deeply intertwined with the livelihoods of millions of Ethiopians, is often grown in ways that contribute to deforestation and forest degradation, impacting biodiversity and releasing greenhouse gases.  This, coupled with climate change vulnerability and unsustainable farming practices, threatens the long-term viability of the sector.

Integrating coffee production with agroforestry systems offers a solution by providing shade, enriching soil, and enhancing carbon sequestration, thus promoting both environmental conservation and improved coffee yields. These challenges are compounded by weak value chains and limited market access, hindering farmers’ ability to thrive. Therefore, reducing GHG emissions through forest and coffee agroforestry restoration and improved management, while simultaneously building the capacity of local partners in sustainable coffee and agroforestry practices and business skills, is crucial for ensuring the resilience and prosperity of Ethiopia’s coffee sector and the communities that depend on it.  This integrated approach recognizes the crucial link between environmental conservation, sustainable coffee production, and improved livelihoods.

The Project achieved the following outcomes:

Outcome 1: Reduced GHG emissions through community-based forest and coffee agroforestry restoration and management. This outcome achieved emission reductions by preventing deforestation, restoring degraded forests, and enhancing carbon storage in both forest and coffee agroforestry systems.  Activities included participatory forest management, reforestation, assisted natural regeneration, fire management, and promoting coffee agroforestry, all implemented with strong community involvement.

Outcome 2: Improved capacity of implementing partners on Forest and Agroforestry restoration and Coffee business. This outcome focused on building the skills of local partners in forest and agroforestry restoration techniques (e.g., nursery management, planting, monitoring), coffee production and business skills (e.g., quality control, marketing), and organizational capacity (e.g., leadership, financial management). This capacity building ensures the long-term sustainability of project outcomes.