Lush and its subsidiary Alumalum, an agricultural development organisation engaged in reforestation and tree planting initiatives, have been successfully operating an agroforestry-based Partner Farmer Programme in Northern Uganda. Under this programme, Alumalum provides technical assistance to farmers for implementing agroforestry activities, and purchase the harvest at fair prices. This agroforestry model aims to restore the environment, including soil and biodiversity, while also sequestering carbon and enhancing agricultural productivity. Consequently, it improves livelihoods, food security, and acts as a deterrent to further environmental degradation, such as agricultural encroachment into forests.
Partnerships for Forests (P4F) has supported the programme’s expansion and the inclusion of additional commodities, such as cocoa and vanilla, along with the implementation of a Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) carbon project. Sustainable land use and agricultural practices are monitored through Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) groups, which enforce monitoring and reporting of deforestation and mitigate risks of encroachment into protected forest reserves. With P4F’s assistance, Alumalum has strengthened its business plan, incorporated cocoa, vanilla, and PES as additional production commodities and income streams, expanded the network of supplying farmers from 150 to 829, established a community-based governance system, and secured access to markets for the new commodities.
