FAO-backed forest restoration in Chipinge
Communities in Muwango Village, Chipinge District, eastern Zimbabwe, are restoring miombo forests and strengthening livelihoods through a new 2.5‑hectare community woodlot and climate‑smart biochar production from the invasive Vernonanthura polyanthes. The initiative – supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Zimbabwe’s Forestry Commission with funding from the Government of Italy under the Miombo Transboundary Initiative – was showcased on Zimbabwe’s National Tree Planting Day on 27 January 2026. The woodlot is intended to supply firewood and poles, easing pressure on nearby Chirinda Forest and surrounding miombo woodlands.
Seventy‑one participants, 68% of them women, planted 300 seedlings with a further 1,000 scheduled, and the community plans to plant about 1,600 Eucalyptus seedlings annually for the next three years. FAO’s 2026 actions include beekeeping support, equipment provision, fire management training and community‑based forest monitoring. The village harvested around 100 kg of honey in October 2025 for about USD 300 and aims to expand from 30 to 60 hives, which could yield roughly 900 kg per harvest at an estimated USD 2 per kg. Biochar production from the invasive shrub was demonstrated with environmental safeguards in place, while guidance emphasised avoiding charcoal from indigenous trees to protect natural forests.
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
