Tanzania’s farmer-led land restoration programme, Kisiki Hai, is targeting one million hectares by 2030, building on efforts that have regenerated more than 32 million trees across 500,000 hectares of farmland in Central Tanzania.
The programme, implemented by LEAD Foundation in partnership with Justdiggit, has reached more than 200,000 farming households in over 650 villages since the organisations joined forces in 2017.
The partners announced the target in Dodoma yesterday as they marked nine years of the initiative and outlined plans to expand its coverage to at least 1,000 villages by 2030.
The expansion comes amid growing efforts to promote sustainable agriculture, restore degraded land and strengthen the resilience of farming communities to climate change.
Kisiki Hai, meaning “living stump” in Swahili, promotes Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), an approach that enables farmers to restore tree cover by protecting and managing naturally regenerating shoots from existing stumps and root systems instead of planting new seedlings.
The technique allows farmers to select, prune and protect young shoots until they develop into trees, making use of established root systems and vegetation already adapted to local conditions.
Unlike conventional tree-planting initiatives, the approach relies on regenerating existing vegetation, potentially reducing restoration costs and the need for seedlings, while integrating trees into farmland.
The regenerated trees can help protect soil against erosion, improve water retention, support biodiversity and create more resilient agricultural landscapes. These benefits are particularly important for farmers facing increasingly unpredictable rainfall and other climate-related challenges.
Since 2017, Kisiki Hai has expanded across more than 650 villages in Central Tanzania, with its implementation model placing farmers at the centre of restoration efforts.
A key element of the programme is the training of local champion farmers, who share their knowledge and practical experience with other farmers in their communities.
The model is designed to encourage wider adoption of natural regeneration techniques by enabling farmers to learn from one another and apply the practices to their own land.
The programme also uses radio broadcasts, short message services (SMS), murals, billboards and community film roadshows to raise awareness and encourage participation. The roadshows combine environmental education with music and dance to communicate restoration messages to rural communities.
As it moves into the next phase, the partnership plans to strengthen these outreach efforts and explore digital technology to reach more farmers across the country.
One of the tools expected to support the expansion is the Kijani app, which provides African farmers with practical information on land restoration and tailored advice. The platform is expected to complement community training by extending access to information beyond farmers directly involved in programme activities.
The partners’ ambition is to combine community engagement, farmer-to-farmer learning and digital solutions to expand the initiative’s reach and make land restoration more accessible to farming households.
However, reaching one million hectares and at least 1,000 villages by 2030 will require sustained collaboration among farmers, communities, government institutions, civil society organisations and development partners.
Increased investment from public institutions, private sector players and philanthropic organisations will also be important in supporting expansion and sustaining restoration activities over the coming years.
The programme’s next phase comes as Tanzania seeks to strengthen agricultural productivity and address environmental challenges through approaches that combine economic development with natural resource conservation.
With more than 32 million trees regenerated across 500,000 hectares and over 200,000 farming households reached, Kisiki Hai is seeking to build on its nine-year track record and expand farmer-led restoration to more communities.
The initiative’s progress will increasingly be measured not only by the number of trees regenerated and hectares covered, but also by the extent to which restoration contributes to healthier soils, more resilient farms and improved livelihoods for participating households.
If achieved, the 2030 target would double the programme’s current restoration coverage, positioning farmer-managed natural regeneration as an important component of Tanzania’s efforts to promote sustainable land use and climate resilience.
ENDS