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Agroforestry and smallholder farming - Adamawa, Cameroon
The project is located in Mayo-Banyo, a department in Cameroon’s Adamawa region, where the Congo Basin rainforests transition into the Sahel savannah. This region is highly vulnerable to climate change and habitat fragmentation, driven by logging and slash-and-burn agriculture. To address these challenges, the project establishes climate-resilient agroforestry systems through communal gardens and home orchards, helping to restore degraded landscapes, create sustainable income opportunities, and reconnect fragmented habitats. The project actively engages the local community by forming representative local committees and providing training in agroforestry techniques.
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Project information
Sustainable farming in Cameroon
The project is located in the commune of Bankim within Cameroon’s Adamawa region. This area faces significant ecological challenges, including deforestation driven by agricultural expansion and unsustainable logging, as well as social issues such as food insecurity and limited economic opportunities. These challenges are further exacerbated by climate change, which has increased rainfall variability, negatively impacting agricultural productivity.
To address these issues, the project establishes communal gardens and home orchards. The project aims to plant at least 10,000 trees per community each year in home orchards with a stand density of approximately 200 trees per hectare. The project focuses on planting native and naturalised tree species, such as mango, avocado and orange, to improve food security and create additional income opportunities for local communities, thereby reducing reliance on destructive practices such as logging and slash-and-burn agriculture. Controlled grazing zones and fire prevention strategies protect newly planted areas from wildfires and overgrazing.
The project also emphasises community involvement, with stakeholders actively participating in governance and monitoring through established committees. This inclusive, community-driven approach ensures long-term sustainability. By restoring habitats, increasing biodiversity, and diversifying livelihood opportunities, the project delivers lasting benefits for both the environment and local communities.
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Intervention
Agroforestry
Location
Cameroon
Standard
Plan Vivo
Sustainable Goals
Project performance
The Earthly rating
The Earthly rating is the industry-first holistic project assessment. Earthly researchers analyse 106 data points, aggregating information across the three vital pillars of carbon, biodiversity and people. Projects in Earthly's marketplace all exceed a minimum score of 5/10.
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Carbon
3.3K
estimated carbon sequestration t(CO2)e.
Biodiversity
10,000
naturalised and native trees planted per year.
Social
60%
of the carbon credit revenue is allocated to local communities and smallholder farmers.
Project impact
Local impact
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The project currently spans approximately 16 hectares of land, with plans for expansion in the future. Since the project's initiation in 2024, there have been few observable changes. Our team will continue to monitor developments through satellite imagery.
Project area: through time
The Smallholder Farming and Community Gardens project operates within a challenging environment of Cameroon. The Mayo-Banyo department was selected for this project due to its strategic location in an ecological transition zone, where the Sahel-influenced northern climate meets the forested, temperate conditions of central Cameroon. This region is highly vulnerable to climate change, with increasing rainfall instability affecting agriculture, wildlife, and plant life. Additionally, anthropogenic threats, such as logging and slash-and-burn agriculture, contribute to ecosystem degradation.
To mitigate pressure on natural ecosystems, the project establishes climate-resilient agroforestry systems and communal gardens, providing sustainable livelihood alternatives that help local communities transition away from destructive practices.
Positive for people
The project addresses key social challenges in the region, including malnutrition, limited income and agricultural difficulties, by implementing targeted actions that enhance food security, agricultural productivity and income opportunities.
To increase food security, the project promotes communal gardens and home orchards, increasing the availability of diverse and nutritious foods such as tamarind, cashew nuts, grapefruits, mangoes and avocados. It also provides training in agroforestry practices to ensure the long-term productivity of these systems. Additionally, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing among smallholder farmers fosters a collaborative learning environment, strengthening local expertise and agricultural resilience.
The project generates direct economic benefits through a structured benefit-sharing mechanism. Smallholders receive 50% of the carbon revenue, with a larger share allocated in the early years to help cover the costs of tree care. Another 50% of the revenue is directed to the Community Fund, which reinvests in socio-ecological initiatives, while 10% is specifically allocated to maintaining communal gardens and developing non-timber forest products such as shea butter, neem oil and baobab. The project provides training to enhance their value and establish marketing channels and local cooperatives to create sustainable income streams.
Community engagement is central to the project’s success. Smallholders choose the trees they plant, guided by scientific advice to maximise ecological benefits. Local Plan Vivo committees, which include at least 30% female representation and participation from all ethnic groups, ensure equitable decision-making. To maintain transparency and accountability, regular workshops and community meetings are held, and a logbook records grievances raised during Plan Vivo assemblies and project site visits. Community partners and local communities work together to implement corrective actions as needed.
Good for earth
Through training in agroforestry techniques, community members acquire skills to generate income from fruit and non-timber forest products, fostering long-term environmental stewardship. Reforestation efforts play a key role in ecosystem restoration by improving soil health, reducing erosion, and enhancing soil fertility, while also expanding habitat availability for wildlife. The project sites serve as ecological stepping stones, reconnecting fragmented habitats and strengthening biodiversity corridors.
The project benefits from a formal scientific partnership with the National Herbarium, ensuring that reforestation initiatives align with expert knowledge and best scientific practices. Using data from Kew Botanical Gardens’ Plants of the World database, the project provides a justification for each non-native species introduced, detailing its livelihood or ecosystem benefits compared to alternative native species. Additionally, an assessment is conducted to ensure that each non-native species poses no environmental risk or threat.
To safeguard these ecological gains in the long term, the project implements fire prevention measures and establishes controlled grazing zones, protecting newly planted areas from wildfires and excessive livestock pressure.
How we assess for quality
The Earthly scoring process
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