The One Acre Fund provides financing and training to over 1 million smallholder farmers across six countries in eastern and southern Africa. In Tanzania, the Fund’s carbon projects leader Laura Orozco Romo designs and manages projects that support the country’s small farmers through agroforestry. The Tropical Forest Landscapes online certificate program is giving her a new perspective on the vital importance of community engagement in her initiatives, she says.
Country: Tanzania
Organization: One Acre Fund
Trees play a critical role in helping Tanzania's smallholder farmers increase their well-being and incomes, Laura Orozco Romo says.
As carbon projects leader for the non-profit One Acre Fund, she designs and manages projects aimed at helping the country's farmers grow trees for multiple purposes, including sequestering carbon, improving soil health to boost agricultural productivity, and providing forest non-timber products for home consumption and sale.
She says her participation in YSE's Tropical Forest Landscapes online certificate program is changing the way she views agroforestry work.
“I’m learning that interventions must take into account the sociological and political aspects of the regions where we work. In order to empower the affected communities, we must ensure we are meeting their real needs and doing no harm,” she says.
In order to empower the affected communities, we must ensure we are meeting their real needs and doing no harm.”
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