By Susan Karimi

1. BEATING FAMINE SOUTHERN AFRICA
CONFERENCE
LILONGWE, MALAWI
14-17 April, 2015
THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF
IMPLEMENTING FMNR
SCALE UP AT NATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEVELS
Presented By: Susan Karimi,
Resilience and Livelihoods Learning Centre,
World Vision, East Africa Regional Office

2. Project profile

3. FMNR E.A REGIONAL LEVEL
STRATEGIES FOR SCALE UP
AND IMPLEMENTATION Centre for Development Economics and
Sustainability
Monash University
A Research Agenda for
Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration
(FMNR)
“…..Land is very important to household
welfare……..”.
“….child schooling is adversely affected by a lack of
adult labour. The net result of all this is the need for
more investment in assets that improve the
productivity of labour – improving soil quality, water
management, providing tools and other agricultural
inputs, teaching improved agricultural practices, etc
– that allow more to be produced with the same or
less labour input. This frees up children to benefit
from schooling, and adults to pursue other income
producing activities”.
• Policy influence
- Government engagement;
- Policy briefs
• Evidence gathering and building knowledge
base
- Research
- Documentation
- GIS mapping and ground photography
• Partnerships
- National FMNR networks
- ICRAF, Govt ministries, Universities
• Staff capacity building and facilitating cross
country Learning
• Institutional strengthening and capacity building
• Regional monitoring tool (community friendly)

4. FMNR E.A NATIONAL LEVEL
STRATEGIES FOR SCALE UP
AND IMPLEMENTATION
• Policy change through community members;
giving the community members the power to
change things through their leaders-(demand
driven policy change)
• Integrating Tree regeneration with livelihoods
and energy saving options
• Farmer to Farmer training; through FMNR
champions and agents
• Community learning sites and resource centres
• Children as agents of change; integrating FMNR
in school curriculum
• Use of existing local structures
- CBOs, churches, registered herbalists, school
clubs etc
• Use of radio, drama and bill boards for
messaging and advocacy on FMNR
• Embedding FMNR in national office strategies

5. RISK FACTORS WE ARE CONSIDERING WHEN
IMPLEMENTING FMNR
RISK FACTOR
• Illegal harvesting of
forestry resources in
conserved/
regenerated areas
• Land tenure, that may
hinder /delay
adoption of FMNR on
communal land
RISK MANAGEMENT APPROACH
• Facilitate the local governance
structures to expedite the
formulation of the by-laws meant to
govern the reforested areas.
• Strengthen community based
monitoring of conserved areas.
• Implementing together with the
government to enable integrate
FMNR concept in government
ministries, and with other
stakeholders advocate for passing of
the favourable land bills.

6. RISK FACTORS WE ARE CONSIDERING WHEN
IMPLEMENTING FMNR (cont’)
RISK FACTOR
• Insecurity may hinder
FMNR adoption in
some areas
• Unfavourable climatic
conditions ( parts of
Uganda and Kenya)
RISK MANAGEMENT APPROACH
• Connecting FMNR benefits to
improvement of community
livelihood, sell integrate conservation
(FMNR) as a peace building initiative
• Sustainable land management
integrated as a core component
within the project to encourage
farmers to make use of the limited
precipitation for better yields.
Drought resistant and quick maturing
crop

7. PROGRESS/ SUCCESS; TWO YEARS LATER
1. Increased community demand for FMNR training
• Requests by community members for the community-based FMNR champions to
provide training and awareness on the FMNR approach continue to increase,
resulting in 15,184 people trained in FMNR across the four countries. As a result,
9253 (Kenya- 3207, R-836, T-2267, U- 2943) people have been trained through the
established extension agents.
• In terms of institutional uptake, FMNR is now implemented by 42 schools (5 Kenya,
6 Rwanda, 31 Uganda), 4 NGOs (2 Uganda, 2 Tanzania), 9 government institutions
in Kenya and Uganda and one dairy society in Kenya.
• Community members commonly cite that their desire to uptake FMNR is based on
the visible transformative effects realised by early adopters of FMNR.
- eg increased quantity of forage in their pastures, resulting in increased
milk production from livestock, increased firewood production, increased
food production etc

8. PROGRESS/ SUCCESS; TWO YEARS LATER
1. Impact at household level
• Community members commonly cite that their desire to uptake FMNR is based on
the visible transformative effects realised by early adopters of FMNR.
- eg increased quantity of forage in their pastures, resulting in increased
milk production from livestock,
- increased firewood production, resulting in increased food production
time, thus nutrient dense nutrition for children and more time for families
together
• 30 village savings and loans (VSL) groups have been formed as an incentive to
enable the farmers to access loans for their farming needs.
• 1789 Farmers adopting alternative income generating activities (alternative
income ventures undertaken alongside FMNR include beekeeping, poultry
farming, rabbit farming and kitchen gardens, growing of fruit trees, crop
production such as beans, simsim etc. 651 people who have adopted alternative
sources of energy, mainly solar lanterns and energy saving cook stoves.

9. PROGRESS/ SUCCESS; TWO YEARS LATER
2. Increased vegetative cover
• Through the range of FMNR activities, including sensitization, mobilisation of
community champions and direct training, 3537 hectares (128ha - Kenya, 2325ha -
Uganda, 49ha (communal land, not counting farm land - Rwanda and 1035ha -
Tanzania) of land have been put under regeneration resulting in improved
vegetation cover with nascent increases in biodiversity through the re-emergence
of some species that had been rendered locally extinct, such as with the re-
emergence of locally valuable medicinal herbs reported in Kenya and Rwanda (e.g.
Zanthoxylum chalybeum, Terminalia brownee, Rrhus natalensis, Pappea capansis,
and Boscia angustifolia).
- In Rwanda, youth are busy grafting and growing indigenous trees and fruit
trees for sale to complement the natural regeneration and growth in the
much degraded areas. Approximately 250,000 seedlings have been planted
to date, with a further 1 million seedlings prepared and awaiting planting.

10. PROGRESS/ SUCCESS; TWO YEARS LATER
3. Impact in schools
• As FMNR promotes more rapid tree growth and associated increased availability of
firewood, children spend less time in the afternoons collecting firewood for the
preparation of school meals.
– In Emarangishu primary school, children previously spent 3 hours 2-3 per week collecting firewood,
which has now been reduced to 1 hour once per week. This provides up to 4 extra hours free time per
week for Emarangishu students, which many devote to school club activities. Others schools in Kenya
report an increase in school income due to FMNR. Legetetwet primary school in Kenya has reported
an income increase of Kshs 6,000 (approximately $70), per harvest, through selling grass as a result of
FMNR adoption.
– The FMNR concept has been proposed to be a component of the Regreening school initiative. Once
rolled out, the concept will spread to more schools beyond the project area.
– The tangible results from early adopting school are supporting a major
increase in the number of schools wanting to learn and adopt FMNR, with
teachers increasingly integrating FMNR into the school curriculum as part of
the environmental studies.

11. PROGRESS/ SUCCESS; TWO YEARS LATER
4. Policy influence and change
• The increased uptake of FMNR by the community members has
emphasized to local governments and partners that FMNR is a favourable
method of achieving reforestation in a cost effective manner. Several
Government entities across the four countries implementing this program
have formally included FMNR in natural resource management policy and
advocate its adoption.
- Eg in Kenya, the county governments of Baringo and Nakuru have
adopted FMNR in their county development plans, (County Forest
Bill, Environment and Natural Resource Sectorial Plan and Ministry of
Environment Strategic Plans). Upon its adoption, the project plans
to ensure implementation of the concept through CVA (Community
Voice and Action).
- Local partner organisations are also pushing for more of their staff
to be trained so that they may also train others within their areas of
operation eg in Tanzania, Mwanga Environment Conservation
Association Office (SMECAO) and FLORESTA have adopted FMNR
and are in the forefront of training others on FMNR in their area of
operation

12. PROGRESS/ SUCCESS; TWO YEARS LATER
5. Public awareness
• At the international level, the project has contributed in raising the awareness of
the positive environmental benefits accrued from FMNR activities. This has
resulted in FMNR gaining support in international arenas.
- The EA FMNR Project was instrumental in driving the FMNR concept to
recognition in various forums such as the ECHO symposium held in
Machakos, Kenya, Burundi and Tanzania.
- National drought management forums where FMNR was recommended as
a DRR interrvention
- During the Caux Dialogue conference on Land and Security in Switzerland ,
where we showcased on how farmers and County Government are
benefiting from the low cost FMNR.
• Information, education and communication (IEC) materials were produced to
create awareness.
• Use of drama episodes depicting FMNR interactions on local radio stations, local
workshops and meetings to expand local coverage and national forums including
government, academics and researchers and civil society.
- In Kenya, the local radio stations used have a reach of approximately 4
million people (as per the media station listener population records).
- While radio population coverage has not yet been determined for the
other countries (efforts are underway to do so), coverage would be in the
millions as radio is a key communication tool throughout the rural
communities
- Tanzania have put up 24 bill boards in local languages

13. PROGRESS/ SUCCESS; TWO YEARS LATER
6. Community and child participation:
• Community led monitoring after holding an FMNR monitoring learning for
capacity building on undertaking project monitoring with community members
• In FY14 the project has increased the number of children participating in FMNR
to 2315 (2015- Kenya, and 300- Uganda) in environmental clubs across 47
schools (10- Uganda, 37- Kenya). These are spearheading FMNR education in
their schools. Knowledge transfer on FMNR from children to parents has been
experienced as some of the farmers have confessed having learnt from their
children
7. Mainstreaming FMNR practice across World Vision ADPs
• Approximately 24 WV ADPs have benefited from training on FMNR and are
rolling out FMNR in their areas. Mainstreaming of FMNR into existing World
Vision programs will ensure that the FMNR model is spread beyond the project
target areas, hence increasing opportunities for compelling Government to
take it on.

14. KEY CONSIDERATIONS IN IMPLEMENTING FMNR
• Understand your geographical landscape; same country,
different geographical landscape
• Quick farmer adoption v/s vast area coverage needs enough
staffing to help move with the community pace
• Existing government policies and/or community perception
on certain trees
• On-boarding government on policy changes; slow process
• Results don’t come quick; incentives to keep the farmers
going
• Land ownership issues (what roles to play on communal
land)
• Gaps in research making it difficult to build a case for FMNR
• On boarding of our implementing partners early

15. Lessons Learnt
• Urban charcoal use was identified as the main drive for the charcoal
demand in the rural areas thus driving farmers to cut down trees for sale of
charcoal.
• Children are good catalysts in the transfer of FMNR knowledge at the
community and household level. This has been witnessed by the
knowledge transfer on FMNR from schools to homes.
• Integrating FMNR with IGAs and other climate change adaptation
activities, acts as a motivating incentive for the farmers interested in
sharing about FMNR in order to keep the momentum.
• Land ownership is proving to be of paramount importance in the adoption
of FMNR. In areas where people do not own any land or where communal
lands are targeted, adoption of FMNR has been a challenge as people are
not willing to undertake such in land where they feel they have no
individual ownership.
• Use of existing local structures instead of creating others has helped
greatly in speeding up acceptance and adoption of FMNR.

16. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REGIONAL TEAMS FOCUS
• Getting FMNR linked to regional policies through regional bodies such as
AU
• Up-scaling of FMNR to all countries
• Using the regional FMNR platform to build a case for FMNR (to the regions
and national strategies)
• Research to build the body of knowledge through linking with credible
research institutions

17. The story of Nelson Morogo of Chemasis village in Nakuru Kenya.
 Nelson Morogo a 70 year old retired senior chief
“When I first heard FMNR, the term was very unique to me but after being introduced to it, I liked it and agreed to being one
of the extension agents in my village” states Nelson Morogo.
“To date I have managed to harvest 106 bags of grass which will be enough to feed my cows for 4 months”. My milk production has
increased from 10 litres to 28 Litres per day, which I supply to the dairy at 45 shillings per litre. This has changed my earnings from Ksh450
($5) to Ksh1260 ($14) per day”, says a delighted Morogo.
 From the proceeds he got from firewood and milk, Morogo has started bee keeping on his FMNR site.
He has 2 bee hives and plans to add eight more. “I am now waiting to harvest the honey in 3 months‟ time and this will
boost my income after selling it.”
 From his tomato farming he anticipates to harvest 20 crates and sell at 3000 ksh per crate. This will earn him Ksh60,00shillings
($668) This growth in crop production income is as a result of the extra income generated from the sale of the milk which was
realised as a result of increased pastures resulting from the FMNR practice in his 1 hectare piece of land.
 So far, Morogo Nelson has since sold 100 bundles of firewood at 100 shillings per bundle earning him 10,000 shillings ($111).
“I am happy that I live a better life unlike before since I am able to cater for the needs of my family without straining”
To date Morogo’s farm has been one of the Farmer Field School site for FMNR where 41 farmers have learned of the concept.
From a retired chief, Morogo has become one of the facilitators on FMNR whenever his farm is used as a learning site.
“FMNR has changed my life and now I am more valuable than before. I have taught many and very big people have visited my farm”,

18. ……
THANK YOU