Burkina Faso’s Ministers of Environment and Agriculture, Water and Water Resources are “absolutely clear about the critical role tree foods play in preventing famine,” reports TREE AID’s Chief Executive, Dr. Philip Goodwin, following a meeting with ministers in the country last week.
As leading aid agencies demand that governments, donors, the United Nations and NGOs ‘don’t delay’ if severe food shortages are to be avoided in West Africa this spring, TREE AID warns of continued cycles of deforestation, drought and famine in the region if the role of trees continues to be ignored.
From the charity’s offices in Ouagadougou, Dr. Goodwin says; “The government in Burkina Faso recognises the problem and is carefully considering the right response so as not to destabilise the local economy but to protect the most vulnerable. But they know all too wellthat without long term investment, and more specifically investment in trees, famine will continue to be a regular and devastatingoccurrence. This is where TREE AID is offering much needed support”
Dr. Goodwin was invited to meet with the Ministers to discuss TREE AID’s work in the country – work that has proved effective in protecting families from starvation.
Burkina Faso Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Dr. Jean Coulidiaty said “For 25 years TREE AID has been improving the environment in the drylands of Africa by unlocking the potential of trees. What has been most impressive to me is the way that TREE AID makes trees work for people. I have seen the lives of poor rural farmers, and especially women, transformed thanks to the income that they now generate from tree products. They are planting trees to support these enterprises and in doing so are protecting their environment for their children. I am also aware that as food crisis looms across the Sahel, the communities where TREE AID is working are better protected against famine thanks to better soils, additional income and the availability of tree foods. TREE AID’s approach to sustainable poverty alleviation while improving the environment has worked in Burkina Faso. There is great need for more of this work here and across the drylands of Africa, especially in the face of continued deforestation, persistent drought and devastating famine.”
For communities in Burkina Faso, TREE AID projects are restoring land and livelihoods, thereby providing a safety net for families facing extended periods of drought. There’s now a huge demand for TREE AID experience and expertise.
“Deforestation is a real issue for the whole of Africa. There are a number of reasons for this but planting trees for trees sake isn’t the solution. With increasing occurrences of drought and famine it really is time that the role trees play in helping people escape a life of poverty is taken seriously. We want to see forestry initiatives that include people so they can protect their own futures. We want to see an end to sticking plaster approaches that struggle to provide even a short-term solution,” concludes Dr. Goodwin.
