Let’s focus on making the gap between

climate change and real impact smaller by

bringing the global north and global south

closer to each other. We want free knowledge

on organic soil enrichment for agroforestry

farmers worldwide.

In April 2023, me and my partner got

the opportunity to drive overland from

Amsterdam to Southern Africa, Mozambique,

to experience the world and agroforestry up

close! It took us three and a half months to

arrive at the destination and we got to see

how beautiful landscapes and cultures f low

over into each other. We spoke to and slept

at different small-scale farms in Eastern

Europe, Middle East, and Africa. We learned

that running a small-scale farm is tough

and we were surprised that only a very few

farmers had heard about agroforestry.

Before going to Africa we subconsciously

believed Africa would be one big National

Geographic documentary, but we found

less real wilderness than we had hoped

for. After driving through a handful of East

African countries, the following questions

kept popping up in our heads: Why are so

few people involved in agroforestry while

so many countries fully depend on small-

scale agriculture systems? Who analyses

and formulates a solution for overpopulation

or malnutrition or for the prevention of

deforestation and the burning of land in

Africa?

Free knowledge for organic soil enrichment

for agroforestry farmers worldwide

Agroforestry is practical and lowcost It

means that tree growing is combined with

farming. It is integrated land management

that reduces human impact on land. Perhaps

if science, commerce, governments, and

NGOs combine their strengths even more

eff iciently, people will f ind constructive

answers to these questions. 

I truly believe the solution starts with 1.

relevant education, 2. regional proof of

concepts and 3. knowledge. It would be

great if small farmers have better access

to more specif ic knowledge and solutions.

The farmers in agroforestry we got to meet

during our trip have a small, strong, and

resilient network but even these great

farmers need specif ic scientif ic knowledge

that is diff icult to get when you are in a

remote place. 

Nobody could believe their eyes when a

banana tree grew out of poor beachy sand

Overall ending our trip at my dad’s

agroforestry project in Mozambique was the

most positive ending possible. To create a

food forest in the coastal area is incredible.

To see people being amazed that banana

trees can grow out of beachy sand was even

better. And seeing that Harmonergy’s f irst

intern is trying to create his own forest with

no funds 2.000 km up north in Mozambique

was the best! I hope he and his future

interns can access the right support to grow

opportunities for local communities. I saw

agroforestry to be the way forward, and I

hope more people are willing to join this new

collective mindset.

Sijanda de Boer