Togo – Lake TOGO: agroforestry, forestry and market gardening in 10 villages on the shores of Lake Togo

Background & challenges

The project is located in the south of Togo, along Lake Togo, not far from the capital Lomé. Very early on there was a lot of farming in this region plus several industrial units were built here. The rapid development of the area, especially around Lake Togo, has caused significant ecological disruption. Strong demographic pressure and a lack of space for the various human activities around the lake are aggravating regional environmental and social issues. The rural population is mostly made up of farmers, fishermen and -women.

Over the years, continuous cultivation without fallow or crop rotation has led to soil depletion, resulting in the disappearance of surrounding vegetation and the progressive silting of Lake Togo due to severe erosion.

In the past, fishing was the main activity and fed almost all the families. Fishing populations, whose numbers and needs increase year on year, helplessly witness the pollution of the surface water – which restricts the area they can work and suffocates the overexploited fish resources. Today, fishermen and -women represent the poorest and most vulnerable segment of the population.

Families also lack wood for fuel and lumber. To gather it, the villagers have no other choice but to cut down trees and shrubs that are becoming increasingly scarce.

Through this project, the local population can adopt a sustainable approach to managing and developing their territory. They will also be able to innovate in the production and marketing of local produce, as well as making the region more attractive to young people and tackling rural flight.

To this end, 100,000 trees will be planted based on two different approaches and are expected deliver many benefits:

1) Agroforestry by planting so-called ‘fertilizer trees’ in cultivated fields to:

• naturally and sustainably fertilise the soil without chemical products with a natural supply of carbon and nitrogen in the soil;
• increase yields and sustainably diversify production with food crops to ensure local food security and the marketing of surplus goods on local markets;
• enrich biodiversity, strengthen local environmental resilience, and limit the use of synthetic pesticides by reintroducing animals to encourage natural pest control;
• produce fuel and lumber on family farms to relieve the workload of women, who will no longer need to walk miles to gather their bundles of sticks.

2) Forestry by creating community forests near and along Lake Togo, as well as in the silted area and family forests, in order to:

• stabilise soils and tackle erosion;
• retain stones and prevent landslides;
• regulate the flow of springs and filter water;
• provide wood, a renewable resource, and fodder.

The sustainable introduction of trees in the project area will also improve the local climate by countering pollution and contributing freshness, while improving the global climate by creating carbon sinks.

In addition to tree planting, the project will also set up a market gardening activity to rapidly improve the living standards of the farming and fishing households. The shores of Lake Togo are indeed swampy and as such ideal for growing crops like tomatoes, green peppers, onions, gboma, spinach, taro, groundnuts, soya, and mushrooms. With Lomé close by, a market for these new products is guaranteed.