Trees for the Future (TREES) has published its revised Forest Garden Training Manual, a comprehensive resource designed to support farmer-driven, climate-resilient agroforestry systems worldwide.
This new Technical Manual for Trainers is a practical, science-backed guide, built on more than 30 years of TREES’ field experience, co-created with farmers and other sector experts, and shaped by decades of research, trial, and error. It reflects the same knowledge TREES uses every day to train staff and partner farmers.
Through locally led training, TREES works with farmers to transform degraded land into thriving, sustainable farms. Since 1989, more than 63,000 farming families across sub-Saharan Africa have restored over 100,000 acres into productive landscapes that function as carbon sinks and abundant food sources. Each Forest Garden grows a diverse mix of crops, allowing farmers to feed their families, improve nutrition, and generate stable income.
“With this manual, we are opening up decades of learning and farmer-driven solutions to the global community,” said Gabe Buttram, TREES Technical Director. “Our hope is that it serves as a valuable resource for anyone working to restore land, strengthen food systems, and build climate resilience.”
Produced with support from the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UN Decade) through the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), this edition was created as part of TREES’ recognition as a UN Decade Flagship. The Flagship honor is awarded to some of the world’s most ambitious, science-backed restoration efforts that serve as models for scaling ecosystem restoration globally.
TREES was recognized for its farmer-led Forest Garden Approach, which is restoring degraded land across sub-Saharan Africa while strengthening local food systems and livelihoods, and stands as one of the best examples of large-scale, long-term ecosystem restoration. The manual underpins TREES’ mission and contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Knowledge sharing is fundamental to scaling up restoration and good agroforestry practices,” said Elaine Springgay, Agroforestry Officer at FAO. “This manual exemplifies how science, organizations, and farmer experience can come together to provide practical tools for practitioners worldwide. It supports the goals of the UN Decade and demonstrates how local solutions can deliver global impact.”
Inside, readers will find clear instructions, rich knowledge, practical illustrations, and field-tested tools that can be adapted to a variety of contexts.
Who it’s for:
- Practitioners in the field: Step-by-step guidance and practical application.
- Policymakers: Evidence-based strategies for sustainable agriculture and restoration.
- Academics & researchers: Field-validated knowledge to support study and innovation.
- NGOs & extension services: Scalable tools to advance food security and ecosystem restoration.
Download the manual here: https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/publications/forest-garden-technical-manual
Media Assets High-resolution photos and TREES logos are available for download here.
About Trees for the Future
Trees for the Future (TREES) is an international nonprofit working with farmers across sub-Saharan Africa to restore degraded land through the Forest Garden Approach. By training farmers in agroforestry and regenerative practices, TREES helps families improve their livelihoods and food security while fostering biodiversity and helping the environment.
Learn more at www.trees.org.
