Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
In Senegal, Daniel Halman’s company, Féro, employs a model combining high-productivity greenhouses with agroforestry for efficient land use. Increased crop production on less land frees space for restoration, balancing cultivation and ecological efforts by planting fruit trees and native species alongside quick-harvest crops. This approach aims to make land restoration economically sustainable. Halman addressed the challenge of delayed financial returns from tree planting by integrating onions and other fast-growing, locally favored crops, aligning environmental goals with market demand.
In Nigeria, Green Eden Farms, co-founded by Ritkatmun Bwemana, developed ScareGrow, a solar-powered precision agriculture system that collects data to help farmers optimize water and input use. This technology improves soil productivity and resource efficiency by ensuring water and inputs are applied precisely, reducing waste. Bwemana noted that success is measured not just by adoption but by actual resource savings and timely input use.
Both entrepreneurs emphasize that linking restoration to tangible economic benefits for farmers is essential, as land restoration efforts must be economically viable to gain widespread adoption among those who rely on the land for their livelihoods.