Forests (natural and planted) are a vital resource in East Africa, providing food, fuel and timber for local communities, maintaining the soil and water balance, and absorbing carbon dioxide. Due to increased population pressure and rapidly growing demand for charcoal, East African forests have been shrinking. Towards the end of the 1990s, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation began funding the Tree Biotechnology Programme, a clonal forestry programme aimed at increasing the production of wood for domestic consumption. By focusing on improving tree growers’ access to quality planting materials, the programme had a threefold objective: private sector and small grower development, poverty alleviation, and the reduction of negative environmental impact from forestry (contributing to environmental protection).
(Uganda) Promoting commercial forestry in Uganda: the experience of the Tree Biotechnology Programme (ODI)
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