Okapi (Okapia johnstoni) Case Study
Home > Biodiversity Nature & People > Conservation Philanthropy > Grants > GEF Grant 242536690
Continent: Africa
Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of (Congo-Kinshasa)
Grant Amount: $20,000
Awarded Date: February 19, 2025
Agroforestry for Okapi: Enhancing Community Practices for Habitat Protection
OCP's ongoing agroforestry program reinforces our holistic conservation approach through the following objectives:
- Facilitate the adoption of sustainable agricultural techniques among local communities to reduce reliance on slash-and-burn practices, mitigating deforestation and habitat degradation.
- Provide training and resources to local communities aimed at improving food security, while simultaneously fostering conservation awareness and promoting stewardship of natural resources.
- Enhance the capacity of OCP’s agroforestry program by providing professional development opportunities for agronomists to optimize programming and ensure its effectiveness and relevance to the local landscape.
Given the increasing pressure from a growing human population and destructive subsistence farming, the program will engage over 700 farmers in sustainable practices that have been shown to increase crop yields by 25% and extend soil fertility by five years. The agroforestry program further serves as a gateway to broader conservation discussions, addressing climate change and habitat protection while improving community livelihoods and decreasing reliance on forest resources.
This grant is funded as part of our Fonseca Leadership Program which was established by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This fund supports young conservationists from developing countries.
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