My Farm Trees
This digital platform encourages farmer- and community-led tree-based restoration of degraded landscapes, empowering resilience through restoration. It promotes tree cover using native species and ensures thorough documentation, verification, and quality control.
The platform uses mobile technology and blockchain to create a transparent information link from seed collection to tree growth, enabling digital payment transfers as incentives for restoration efforts led by smallholders, community groups, and schools. These efforts aim to improve livelihoods, food security, and climate mitigation.
MyFarmTrees integrates app-based solutions, including GeoFarmer, Diversity4Restoration, MyGeoTree, and MyGeoNursery. Funded by the Global Environment Facility, the platform is implemented by IUCN and executed by the Alliance. Pilots have been successfully conducted in Kenya and Cameroon, with current scaling efforts underway in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
In what context is this tool useful?
MyFarmTrees provides smallholders with access to knowledge about the availability of quality plant material, as well as tools for monitoring and receiving digital payments.
The platform is compatible with various market solutions, such as crowdfunding and natural capital, offering global scalability across different use cases and investment opportunities.
Current usage
Cameroon: Supports quality germplasm production in ENEF nurseries; engages with national committees and agencies (MINEPDED, MINFOF, ABIOGeT, ANAFOR); agreements with INBAR; aids local communities.
Kenya: Collaborates with Save The Children, APIR Turkana, and Laikipia Wildlife Forum; partners with KEFRI, ICRAF, FAO; engages in Ministry of Environment's steering committee; supports local communities.
Results achieved
By mid-2024, the piloting of MyFarmTrees applications in Kenya has benefited 3,403 farmers (1,498 men and 1,905 women) who received tree seedlings and support for planting, contributing to the restoration of 1,250 hectares of forest landscapes. In Cameroon, 1,522 individuals (18% women), 34 sacred forests (community lands), 30 schools, 950 seed collectors, and 149 beneficiaries from The Restoration Initiative (TRI) have benefited from the project, resulting in the restoration of 817 hectares of land.
In Cameroon, 260 tree nurseries and 1,950 seed collectors, along with 13 tree nurseries in Kenya, have been empowered and trained to enhance their capacity and achieve self-sufficiency in seed sourcing and seedling production. This effort aims to meet local demand for genetically diverse and adaptive native species.
Feedback from local communities on their participation, challenges, and recommendations has led to refinements in the platform, with the most recent update of MyFarmTrees released in June 2024.
Explore more
Variations, scaling and adaptations
The platform can be integrated into various market types and use cases. It is compatible with a carbon-credit platform supporting community-based restoration and has potential applications in voluntary markets for natural capital, corporate sustainability, and impact capital.
Users, including researchers, can use the platform to register and map nurseries, monitor restoration from seed to forest, and analyze genetic resource management and restoration outcomes. The data provides insights on recommended species, actual species used, supply capacity, local implementation demand, user segment profiles, and socio-environmental outcomes.
Partnerships and Scaling:
Pilots in Senegal; exploring expansion to Vietnam, Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi, Benin, Malaysia, Indonesia, and preliminary insights from Latin America.
Tools often used together with this tool
Ensuring Survival: Kenya’s Native Trees Thrive in Environmental Efforts
Contact Us
- Chris J Kettle: My Farm Trees Project Lead. Principal Scientist and Global lead Tree Biodiversity and Restoration, Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT ([email protected])
- Anton Eitzinger: My Farm Trees Tech Lead. Researcher and thematic leader for digital tools for climate action at the Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT
([email protected]) - Francis Odhiambo Oduor: My Farm Trees project manager in Kenya, Postdoctoral Fellow, Food Environment and Consumer Behavior Lever, at the Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT. ([email protected])
- Marius Ekue: My Farm Trees project manager in Cameroon and West Africa. Senior Scientist in the Biodiversity for Food & Agriculture Lever at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. ([email protected])
- Fidel Chiriboga: My Farm Trees implementation, partnerships & impact scaling. ([email protected])
More publications
Research leaders
Chris J Kettle
Principal Scientist, Lead Tree Biodiversity for Resilient Landscapes
Anton Eitzinger
Thematic Lead Digital Tools, Climate Action
Francis Odhiambo Oduor
Postdoctoral Fellow, MyFarmTrees project manager, Kenya
Marius Ekué
Senior Scientist and Country Representative for CameroonFunders
Funding partner:
Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Implementation partner:
IUCN