Jetro during compost preparation.

Lebialem Division of the South West Region of Cameroon harbours about 70.000 Cameroonians and some of the endangered plant and animal species. There are thousands of plant and animal species in the study area. The plant species are used for food, medicine, craft and traditional festivals. Most of the forest in this area has been cut down through shifting cultivation. This has led to significant loss of habitat and biodiversity. The low soil fertility has caused the local farmers to continue with shifting cultivation in search for more fertile land. Efforts to improve on traditional farming systems of shifting cultivation/slash and burn will be continued through more training on compost manure preparation. Local farmers will be trained on agroforestry techniques. Seeds of selected agroforestry species will be collected, nursed and planted in farmer`s fields. The farmers will be lectured on agroforestry; what it is all about, the different types etc. and they will be trained on all the steps from nursery to planting in the fields.

Thus, in this project we are going to improved soil fertility hence improved crop yield and food security. Increase the use of agroforestry species will go a long way to conserve forest land or habitat and biodiversity as a whole. Agroforestry species also act as shades and help in soil water conservation. Some of the agroforestry species to be introduced besides improving soil fertility and providing fuel wood, attract different species of birds and insects especially when they flower. This will go a long way to improve on biodiversity. The use of compost and agroforestry species is very environmentally friendly and will save the soil, water and biodiversity in the study site. In the study area, tree planting is not a common practice thus planting of agroforestry species will increase the number of trees planted for a green environment.