Tree nursery focusing on drought tolerant, indigenous trees

  Geography

Sub-Saharan Africa, HQ Mutara, Zimbabwe

  Sector

Wild forest production, Agroforestry, Agriculture (not agroforestry), Restoration

Jongi’s Woods is an “Indigenous Species Agro-Forestry Business” that includes a tree nursery and organic animal feed production arm. Within its nursery, the company has produced over 3,000 tree seedlings, including indigenous and endangered species of commercial and ecological importance. Jongi’s Woods is looking to expand rapidly, targeting a production of 20,000 seedlings within the year. The team’s motivation is the “sense to fight climate change through enrichment planting, agroforestry and agroecology using species that are both carbon sinks and the same time provide food and other forestry products to the community.” The tree species Jongi’s Woods is nursing are carefully selected based on their resistance to droughts. The company is currently serving a broad clientele – from non-governmental organizations (e.g. International Organisation for Migration, Woman Bureau of Zimbabwe); governmental and private organizations to large individual buyers. Through its current capital raise, Jongi’s Woods wants to establish a sustainable, off-grip nursery, that will enable the company to meet its production targets. Additionally, the company wants to finance its expansion into Zimbabwe’s growing ecosystem restoration market, with a focus on river bank protection and rehabilitation to increase water security in the drought prone region.

Impact

• Support the reforestation indigenous, drought tolerant trees, that are sequestering carbon and providing food for the local population;

• Sequester an estimated 2,000 tonnes of carbon a year through the production of the trees in the nursery alone;

• Create sustainable livelihoods for the impoverished local community through direct employment within the nursery (~40, each with a family of about 5; hiring will be done with a focus on gender inclusivity and inclusion of marginalised community members), and a farmer seedling out grower programme. Aiming to significantly upscale its production, Jongi’s Woods is also expecting to grow its employee base both nationally and internationally within Sub-Saharan Africa.