We know that communities in the global south have been the first to experience the devastating effects of climate change, with warmer and drier conditions leaving much of the land nearly impossible to farm. John Leary will discuss how his organization Mother Trees is bringing together the best practices in agro-forestry and agri-business in a system called Lifetree Agroforestry. This is a complete system that empowers communities to rebuild their food systems and economic base. Additionally, John will discuss how the impact reaches far beyond food security, by restoring arid landscapes and biodiversity, communities are brought back to life.

In the dry regions of Senegal, agroforestry starts with growing the forest. This forest may not look like any you have seen - as it starts with walls of thorny, native trees that create a ten foot tall barrier that protects the crops and starts to rebuild the ecosystem. Join us to learn more about how living fences are the foundations for living communities.

John will be joined by Mother Trees’s Lead Ambassador Pam Agullo and Mariama Fatajo, founder and CEO of Tefa Development.
Agullo documented with photos and video the recent Caravan which featured local leaders, village chiefs, the local agroforestry cooperatives, and the leaders of the forest management committee. Leary and Agullo visited five sites that have been restored through agroforestry, and ventured into the heart of Ndankou Forest with the president of the community forestry committee and the last remaining forest guardian to assess the threats to the forest up close.
With her social entreprise, Mariama Fatajo empowers small businesses in low-income countries. She is also a proponent of the transformative eco-restoration project in the Gambia that works on reforestation, desertification combat, watershed management, and sustainable community livelihood development.