Spice Forests
From Field to Forest
Zanzibar’s answer to agroforestry. Picture a jungle of trees and vines all producing valuable spices—things like cinnamon, black pepper, vanilla, and cardamom.
Spice Forests stimulate forest regeneration alongside the production of high-value spice crops, storing carbon and reversing trends of deforestation, soil depletion, and economic decline. Spice Forests create a clear incentive for farmers to transition from monoculture farming to resilient and profitable polyculture systems that function more like natural forests than farms.
“Nobody should be allowed to just cut down trees, because we need shade to plant our vanilla and without shade, there is no moisture and we can’t plant anything” – Bimajo Masoud Juma
A founding member of the Pemba Spice Farmers Cooperative, Bimajo proudly displays vanilla vines in her Spice Forest. She has transformed her small farm into an oasis of fruit and spice trees.
We take it one step further by building regenerative supply relationships with responsible international companies. The best of all worlds, Spice Forests repair the landscape and form local enterprise webs that promote gender equality and reduce poverty.
Support Rural Farmers
We are applying all of our efforts to make this the most productive growing season yet. But we can't do it alone!
This work is generously supported by the European Union’s Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA+)
