Medicinal trees - worth more standing
Sustainable harvesting of bark - earning income from trees without felling them
© Allianz SE
Members of the Tigithi Aloe Group, who live in semi-arid Laikipia, on the leeward side of Mount Kenya, have diversified into growing medicinal plant species, particularly trees. They are working with Desert Edge, a company which trains the farmers in cultivation and sustainable harvesting techniques, and buys their plant products. Through value addition, Desert Edge can pay a good price for the medicinal products, making the trees more valuable as a sustainably harvested resource than as timber or charcoal. Group chairman Simon Wachira and Desert Edge business development manager, Maxwell Lumbasi explain more about how cultivating indigenous medicinal plants can earn income and protect the environment.
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Diversification
Health
East Africa
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