Forest conservation takes an unexpected turn through innovative agriculture at Uplands Forest in Kiambu County. Agricultural entrepreneurs cultivate mushrooms beneath protective shelters using carefully positioned sacks. Fifteen community members have transformed an experimental project from 2019 into a sustainable economic pathway. Their approach merges environmental stewardship with rural economic development.
Kenya Forest Service partnered with the African Development Bank through the Green Zone Development Support Project Phase 2 to select Uplands Forest for sustainable livelihood programs. The Participatory Forest Management programme enabled community engagement with controlled agricultural activities. Specialized zones allowed residents to cultivate crops and manage beehives without disrupting forest ecosystems. Strategic planting supported new tree growth across designated forest sections.
Paul Mugo chairs the mushroom growers collective and describes their unconventional agricultural discovery. Farmers recognize mushroom cultivation as a resilient crop unaffected by seasonal variations. Observing local soil collection practices near riverbed areas sparked their innovative approach. Institutional funding transforms their initial conceptual vision into practical agricultural implementation.
Initial attempts encountered significant obstacles during their first operational year. Farmers struggled with limited technical expertise despite organizational support. Simon Mwaura explained how early attempts failed due to insufficient professional guidance. Their breakthrough emerged through specialized training at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Technical certification marked a critical transformation for the collective. Agricultural skills learned through comprehensive workshops enabled more strategic mushroom production techniques. Their second cultivation attempt during 2020 demonstrated remarkable agricultural resilience. Market challenges presented through pandemic restrictions ultimately strengthened their collaborative approach toward sustainable forest-based economic development.
Kenya Forest Service partnered with the African Development Bank through the Green Zone Development Support Project Phase 2 to select Uplands Forest for sustainable livelihood programs. The Participatory Forest Management programme enabled community engagement with controlled agricultural activities. Specialized zones allowed residents to cultivate crops and manage beehives without disrupting forest ecosystems. Strategic planting supported new tree growth across designated forest sections.
Paul Mugo chairs the mushroom growers collective and describes their unconventional agricultural discovery. Farmers recognize mushroom cultivation as a resilient crop unaffected by seasonal variations. Observing local soil collection practices near riverbed areas sparked their innovative approach. Institutional funding transforms their initial conceptual vision into practical agricultural implementation.
Initial attempts encountered significant obstacles during their first operational year. Farmers struggled with limited technical expertise despite organizational support. Simon Mwaura explained how early attempts failed due to insufficient professional guidance. Their breakthrough emerged through specialized training at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Technical certification marked a critical transformation for the collective. Agricultural skills learned through comprehensive workshops enabled more strategic mushroom production techniques. Their second cultivation attempt during 2020 demonstrated remarkable agricultural resilience. Market challenges presented through pandemic restrictions ultimately strengthened their collaborative approach toward sustainable forest-based economic development.
