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Terms of Use

Trees for Global Benefit, Uganda

Trees for Global Benefit is a Plan Vivo project that works with communities in the rural areas of the Bushenyi District, South-West Uganda. It was set up in May 2003.

Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world (ranked 150th in the Human Development Index). Small scale land holders are involved, and the system is designed to provide opportunities for farmers to use their land in a profitable manner (woodlots), or to place it under less intensive management (reforestation) according to their needs, such as cash income, food security, timber, or fuel.

Over 90 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions are from the land use sector in Uganda. This is from deforestation, energy (charcoal and fuelwood), and timber. Terrestrial land use change initiatives are therefore very effective in climate change avoidance.

How is the carbon stored?

Planting of mixed native woodlot for timber, including mahogany, cedar, African cherry, laurel and silk trees; boundary planting for fuelwood and fruit; and protection of wildlife and native forest remnants.

Commercial tree nurseries established in every sub county, managed by private nursery operators, successfully supply farmers with the seedlings they need.  

Carbon offset potential: approximately 50 000 tCO2/yr

Other ecosystem services enhanced

Conservation of biodiversity by promoting indigenous tree species and habitat protection; advice to farmers on which trees are appropriate for the local weather conditions has reduced tree loss due to drought.

Social benefits

Farmers receive training about the critical role that trees play in soil conservation, watershed protection and biodiversity in their local environment. Crop productivity has been shown to increase through the use of improved land management techniques and training has been given for tree nursery management.

Income and opportunities for poor small-scale farmers through carbon payments and technical advice on how to access other markets such as timber, fuelwood, fruit, fodder and poles.

Monitoring/Verification/Risk

Farmers are monitored before payments are made and trees planted before signing agreements will not be considered.  Payment is proportional to the population of surviving approved tree species.

The programme officer includes damage control as part of monitoring programme, so farmers arencouraged to replace the lost trees since they receive proportional payment.

Verification for the Trees for Global Benefits project, as with all other projects based on the Plan Vivo standards.  Third-party verification is by the Rainforest Alliance’s Smartwood programme.

Farmers are involved in tree planting under the Plan Vivo carbon management system which produces carbon offsets which are subsequently sold in the form of Plan Vivo certificates.

Participants/technical support

The project is administered by ECOTRUST and is a collaboration between BR&D, ICRAF and The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM).

ECOTRUST gives technical assistance, for example by

Links

Plan Vivo Uganda

BioClimate Research & Development

ICRAF

Rainforest Alliance - Smartwood

The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM)