The Restore Africa project is an agroecosystem restoration programme that has carbon co-benefits. The project restores land, supporting farmers and pastoralists to increase the productivity, reliability and resilience of food production systems on land that is already being utilised. It focuses on improving the livelihoods of vulnerable farming families, by supporting more sustainable and resilient farming practices and it also hopes to generate carbon credits to repay investors and deliver additional long-term revenue to communities.
This programme maximises direct benefits to communities – putting livelihoods first and foremost. Its objectives is to:
a) Restore degraded landscapes and improve carbon stocks.
b) Improve community governance structures & regulatory frameworks for sustainable management of landscapes.
c) Improve livelihoods and adoption of sustainable land restoration practices through resilient value chain and market linkages.
d) Establish functional carbon market system to support payment for environmental services.
e) Develop and strengthen evidence based monitoring, evaluation and learning systems for climate mitigation and adaptation.
The project operates in Mzimba district, focusing on areas with high potential for carbon sequestration and ecosystem restoration. Total Landcare works closely with local communities and landowners to identify priority sites and tailor interventions to local contexts.