Luanshya, located in Zambia’s Copperbelt province has suffered from years of charcoal production and mining. These activities have led to vast deforestation in the area which ultimately meant the destruction of wildlife’s habitat. The deforestation has seen a significant rise in the carbon dioxide levels in the area, one of the leading contributions to climate change and global warming.
WeForest, in partnership with Circular Computing™, have been working with local farmers to help restore native woodlands, empower the local communities to the area and contribute to decarbonisation through their commitment to plant 5 trees per every remanufactured carbon-neutral laptop sold.
The reforestation is happening through assisted natural regeneration (ANR) on plots of farmland in the miombo woodland. Circular Computing™, through WeForest, helps support the local farmers’ association (LFCA) to become financially independent; in return they have agreed to restore and protect the woodlands. This means they are to harvest sustainably as well as being provided education and resources allowing them to diversify their forest-friendly activities.
The activities that the local communities and LFCA are carrying out include keeping tree nurseries ready to plant, responsible honey and fruit production plus the production of sustainable bioenergy. Selling honey allows farmers to increase their annual income by over 25% whilst saving an endangered species and helping the forest to be pollinated. Local private sector companies have committed to buying the sustainable honey in return, allowing the farmers to trade over 600 uncolonized plastic hives with wooden ones which the bees have taken to.
The plan here is to plant 3.6 million trees over 3000 hectares by 2030, strengthening the financial independence of the region and become environmentally sustainable. So far vegetation surveys have shown an average biomass increase of 10% in the monitored plots which is fantastic news. The Miombo woodlands needs an overall 5% increase in order to achieve a mature forest within 20 years.
Plans for the region are to install an additional 600 wooden hives which will create 120 farming jobs in the area. Farmers are also looking to up-scale the egg rearing business that the local chicken provide, and work towards an offtake contract to produce locally grown vegetables.
You can learn more about WeForest and their projects around the globe on their website: https://www.WeForest.org
Because IT shouldn’t cost the earth.
All imagery is thanks to our partners at WeForest©
