The federal government has appluaded Green Sahara Farms for its commitment in regenerating forest area in the country.
The Minister of State for Environment, Barr. Sharon Ikeazor, via her twitter handle @sharon_ikeazor commended the farm for the their effort and activities towards regeneration of landscapes
Nigeria is said to have lost 96 percent of her primary forest leading to desertification, loss of ecosystem, loss of biodiversity,, degradation, soil erosion, and lost of livelyhoods among others.
The minister commended GSF for reviving the deforested areas in the country through the living people’s lab Nigeria.
The Green Tree Thrift project, is a component of its Green Sahara Revolution in partnership with reforest action of France.
The Prince of Whales and circular bio-economy alliance had recently acknowledged the farm for committing to implementing the Environment, Social and Governance Principles (ESG).
The farm over the past 10 years has been working in Plateau, Nassarawa, Yobe and Kastina state to regenerate the deforested areas.
It had ensured that they improve on the environment where they grow crops rather than deplete it through indiscriminate farming techniques.
The Managing Director of the GSF, Suleiman Dikwa stated that in its reforestation effort, the farm has been working with the Circular Bio-economy Alliance (CBA) to further propagate the regeneration of forest in the country.
Dikwa while speaking to newsmen in Abuja said in the 2021 they had planted 250,000 economic trees in the communities where they are working, adding that their plan is to plant 25million trees and lift about 84000people out of poverty.
According to him “Due to our commitment to ESG our the purpose of operation is not only be limited to making profit but also impacting the environment. “
He said, “Under the ESG, the farmers get more value for their crop and the environment is more protected. In essence we are making a commitment to pay our worker well, treat the farmers better.”
Dikwa stated that with Green Tree Thrift program, farmers can earn a minimum of N3million annually through planting of economic trees, as GSF have been providing each households in the communities where they work with 300 nurseries to plant trees.
“On how people can earn a minimum of N3 million yearly from planting trees, Dikwa explained a cashew tree produces a minimum of 20kg of fruit per tree, when multiplied by 300 trees, it gives six tonnes,” he said.
He said a tonne of Cashew in the local market is about N500,000, when multiplied by six tonnes, it gives N3 millionIf farmers are assited to export, the price is a minimum of 1380 United States dollars.
He further said out that the green tree thrift project is an economic andlet go th cultural strategy to develop a circular bio-economy whereby the sustainable utilisation of natural resources through agro forestry would improve and create a green industry.
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