Planet Earth is naturally biodiverse. It is this biodiversity – the trees, birds, bees, mammals, snakes… that sustains life as we know it. But, biodiverse landscapes are being lost at an alarming rate, in many cases for agricultural expansion. Protecting biodiversity seems at odds with our urgent need to feed growing populations around the world. If we do not get better at managing our resources, we will continue to lose biodiversity, and the fundamental services that healthy ecosystems provide. We will find it more and more difficult to grow our food.

Fortunately, farms can be managed to maximize biodiversity conservation value. Trees on Farms for Biodiversity (ToNF) is our solution.

TonF is funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and implemented by World Agroforestry (ICRAF) in partnership with the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñza (CATIE), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), UFZ and Leibnitz Universität Hannover.

Increasing both the number of trees and species on farms helps conserve and restore biodiversity and improves agricultural productivity. We work with communities, governments and NGOs to promote this approach in Honduras, Indonesia, Peru, Rwanda and Uganda.

TonF will

Increase our knowledge of the links between trees, agriculture & biodiversity
Provide tools for practitioners, operational road maps & investment scenarios for 5 countries
Prepare a biodiversity assessment tool to measure the contribution of trees on farms to biodiversity and sustainability
Assess a range of funding and investment options for increasing investment in trees in agriculture
Help create road maps and business plans for local partners
Increasing the cover of trees on farms can go a long way to meeting global targets for conserving and managing biodiversity.
TonF will fill an important gap in global biodiversity priorities by promoting the improved management of biodiversity in agriculture, particularly, through the increased integration of trees into farming systems.

TonF is a direct contribution to Aichi Target 7 of the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (sustainably managed agricultural areas) by advancing the knowledge of the importance of trees on farms for biodiversity and human wellbeing.