Vi Agroforestry Annual Report 2019: Food security, Livelihoods and Trees
Date
July 8, 2020
Vi Agroforestry has helped to improve people’s living conditions and their resilience, and this is something we are tremendously proud of. By working together, sharing knowledge and standing up for their own rights and the rights of others, people have grown in self-confidence – and have more power over their own lives. Indeed, this annual report shows some fine examples.
The 2019 Vi Agroforestry annual report delves into Vi Agroforestry’s history, the future and how agroforestry is improving the lives of smallholder farmers. The report also highlights the key results from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
At the time of writing, we have received several reports about greater global hunger and increasing poverty in the wake of COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic has reached all the countries where Vi Agroforestry operates. Many previous results now risk coming to nothing. We cannot yet grasp the consequences of the crisis, but one thing we know for certain: it’s the people living in poverty and vulnerability will be hit hardest. Those who can’t afford to stock up on food, who have no margin or government safety net. The COVID-19 pandemic draws attention to injustices in the world. It is putting our compassion to the test. Even so, it is when the problems become visible that they are possible to solve.
Vi Agroforestry is currently preparing for a reorganisation of its operations. When the borders open and people can once again move freely, there will be an acute and immediate need to get to work and get local economies up and running again. We believe that cooperative solutions have a tremendously important part to play. No one country can solve the crisis alone. Unless the most vulnerable countries can handle the pandemic, no one will succeed. We can afford to have global justice. We can’t afford not to. It is important now that we set our sights firmly on the global goals of Agenda 2030 and make sure they become reality. This is our shared responsibility. The world we want after the crisis will be defined by how we act here and now.
We can’t predict the future, but we do know for certain that our support and global solidarity will be more important than ever. We know that people are stronger together. Enjoy the read!