Many blessings of trees

Thursday, December 7, 2017 Tim Webster/IRIN

Planting trees together with agricultural crops – a practice known as agroforestry – offers many benefits to farmers who adopt it, especially in zones affected by decreasing rainfall. Trees provide shade, improve the water retention of soil, and deliver a range of sellable products such as fruit, nuts, and firewood. What’s more, since trees absorb CO2, they help to mitigate global warming. Despite all these advantages, and the rampant deforestation all around them, farmers on the edge of the Mau Forest in Bomet County took some persuading before agreeing to take action