“Through this initiative, we are laying the foundation for a future where agroforestry is not only a sustainable solution but a driving force for climate resilience, economic growth and community well-being. Together, we will cultivate impact.”
From 10 -12 March, over 60 stakeholders from 25 diverse partner organizations across 15 countries gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, to launch a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming agroforestry across Africa.
The four-year project Informed Decision-Making for Agroforestry Systems in Africa through a Network of Living Labs (AfroGrow), funded by the European Union, is set to revolutionize agroforestry in the African Union. It seeks to advance sustainable land management, enhance food security and foster climate change adaptation and mitigation. By integrating science, policy and Indigenous knowledge through a multi-stakeholder approach, AfroGrow ensures its impact is deeply rooted in local realities and aligned with global sustainability goals.
CEO CIFOR-ICRAF, Éliane Ubalijoro, giving her opening remarks. Photo by Kelvin Muchiri / CIFOR-ICRAF
In her opening remarks, Éliane Ubalijoro, executive director at the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), expressed enthusiasm for the project’s transformative potential, emphasizing the project’s role in catalyzing systemic change.
“Today marks the beginning of an exciting journey—one that unites the collective expertise, ambition and dedication of partners under a shared commitment to fostering sustainable agricultural innovation and strengthening agroforestry systems across Africa,” stated Ubalijoro. “AfroGrow emphasizes the entire value chain, from knowledge generation to real-world application, ensuring that science translates into tangible benefits for farmers, communities and ecosystems”.
Living Labs: A hub for innovation
At its core, AfroGrow is structured around six key objectives: establishing Living Labs as innovation ecosystems for agroforestry; identifying and recommending the most suitable plant species and animal breeds for agroforestry systems; assessing the benefits and challenges of multifunctional agroforestry systems; enhancing the adoption of agroforestry and strengthening value chains; reducing social inequalities and fostering social cohesion through sustainable agroforestry management; creating data-driven policies while strengthening the EU-African Union partnership to expand the EU Adaptation Strategy.
The Living Labs are a core component of the project. These dynamic hubs will serve as real-world innovation ecosystems, where research and community-driven solutions converge. Through a systematic user co-creation approach, these labs will integrate research and innovation within local communities, encourage participatory research and knowledge exchange between farmers, scientists and policymakers and develop and test sustainable agroforestry practices tailored to local ecological and socio-economic conditions.
“The Living Labs will be instrumental in co-developing and co-governing agroforestry innovations in real-life environments,” said Zampela Pittaki, AfroGrow’s CIFOR-ICRAF principal investigator, highlighting the importance of these labs. “By bringing together diverse stakeholders, we ensure that solutions are practical, scalable, and responsive to the needs of local communities.”
Workshop participants visited the CIFOR-ICRAF Tree Genebank laboratory. Photo by Kelvin Muchiri / CIFOR-ICRAF
Diverse agroforestry practices across six African countries
The six Living Labs will be strategically located across Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal and Zambia. Each lab will focus on context-specific agroforestry practices tailored to the region’s unique ecological conditions. The activities will include tree nursery development, crop and livestock integration, soil and water management, market linkages and value chain strengthening, as well as community engagement and gender inclusion.
Transforming agroforestry practices and leveraging digital tools for farmer engagement
The AfroGrow project launch workshop marked a major milestone, bringing together researchers, policymakers and stakeholders to align key priorities, implementation strategies and timelines. Discussions focused on climate-smart agroforestry systems to enhance resilience, policy integrations to support sustainable land-use planning and the use of needs-based tools to improve knowledge dissemination and farmer outreach.
“This kick-off meeting is not just a launch. It is a commitment to action, innovation and meaningful partnerships,” said Pittaki. Through this initiative, we are laying the foundation for a future where agroforestry is not only a sustainable solution but a driving force for climate resilience, economic growth and community well-being. Together, we will cultivate impact.”
One of the proposed digital tools is the Regreening Africa App, developed by CIFOR-ICRAF. This tool has already been deployed in over 20 countries, with more than 5,000 users. The Regreening App supports farm-level data collection, tree planting and nursery management, farmer-managed natural regeneration and citizen science monitoring by empowering communities to track their restoration efforts.
A roadmap for resilient agroforestry
AfroGrow is designed to scale up regenerative agricultural practices, reverse soil degradation, improve land health, and enhance ecosystem resilience. By integrating agroforestry across all Living Labs, the project will contribute to strengthening climate adaptation strategies, improving food security and nutrition, promoting biodiversity conservation, and enhancing gender equity through inclusive participation. With a diverse network of stakeholders, AfroGrow is positioned to overcome key obstacles and promote resilient farming systems that benefit both the environment and rural livelihoods across the African Union, with the potential for global impact.
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