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Fruit trees are an important tool for African farmers, who
work in an increasingly arid and unpredictable environment.
Facing increased drought, disease and crop failure, it is
widely recognised that Africa will be the continent most
heavily hit by climate change. 'Agro-forestry' produces
more reliable, alternative crops and increase land fertility.
Trees are resistant to climatic changes and can provide much
needed stability in production.
Schools are the perfect place to help the next generation
of farmers to learn the art of fruit tree cultivation. This
is why Teach A Man To Fish is setting up the 'Carbon Fruitprint'
programme where students run their own fruit orchard enterprises-
offsetting carbon emissions from the UK in the process.
Students gain skills through planting grafted saplings on
school land and tending them throughout their life- but there
is another important element to the learning.
Students run the orchard as a business, helping them
develop a strong sense of entrepreneurship. They learn
how to calculate break even points, identify potential markets
and take care of accounts. These skills make a real difference
in life after school, where the majority of students will
earn their living running small rural enterprises.
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