Chapter 10: Congo Basin Institute facilitates international science on the spot.  Important to all students and researchers in biology, ecology, forests and tropical agriculture, Chapter 11: Charcoal plantations reduce deforestation in DRC. A fantastic solution which is important to all countries in the tropics ; Chapter 12: Central African forests deserve to be in the limelight. Remarkable vision of former Unilever board member André van Heemstra, chairman of UN Global Compact Network Netherlands…

Chapter 11: Charcoal plantations reduce deforestation

by Meindert Brouwer

Tree plantations for charcoal are an important solution to reduce deforestation and pull people out of poverty at the same time. Worldwide Fund for Nature WWF, local ngo’s  and tree planting farmers are proving that every day in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The production of charcoal is combined with the production of energy-efficient cook stoves for a greater impact. Charcoal plantations can significantly reduce pressure on natural forests all over Africa and in rural areas around the world. Every farmer family should have a couple of charcoal trees next to their house.

EcoMakala, the solution is called, ‘makala’ being the Swahilian word for charcoal: sustainable charcoal produced in tree plantations set up by WWF and its partners to reduce pressure on forests inside Virunga National Park, where people have gone to burn charcoal and collect firewood on a massive scale in the past two decades…

 Read and view THREE new SPECIAL chapters of the book CENTRAL AFRICAN FORESTS FOREVER