From 2021 to 2024, the Soka Gakkai in Japan and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) conducted a joint project in Togo, West Africa, aiming to contribute to forest landscape restoration (FLR) and women's empowerment.
Togo, with its varied geography and distinct wet and dry seasons, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This project was implemented in two villages: Pagala-Gare in the Blitta prefecture and Agouegan in the Lacs prefecture. Despite various challenges, including irregular weather patterns caused by climate change and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, those involved carried out the project with perseverance.
In addition to combating climate change through agroforestry systems, this project aimed at empowering women and local communities by combining forest regeneration with agricultural production. It also supported the development and implementation of environmentally friendly income-generating activities (IGAs) as a regular source of income for the women’s groups in the two areas.
Over four years, 150 participants raised roughly 70,000 seedlings with 320 kilograms of crop seeds and successfully regenerated 43 hectares of forest, contributing to climate change mitigation efforts.
The African Women's Network for Community Management of Forests (REFACOF), which promotes women's rights and gender equity in African countries, implemented the project on the ground. Its beneficiaries were all women. Over four years, 150 participants raised roughly 70,000 seedlings with 320 kilograms of crop seeds and successfully regenerated 43 hectares of forest, contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. Crops cultivated included cassava, corn, coconuts and peanuts. These efforts provided food security for families, with surplus sold to support their livelihoods. The project received the 3rd Incentive Award for the Best Regional Reforesters of 2022 (3ème Prix d'incitation aux Meilleurs Reboiseurs Regionaux de 2022) from the Togolese government.
Traditional patriarchal norms in Togo often limit women's rights, particularly regarding land and property, which hinders their independence. However, women often play a central role in supporting families and communities through household chores and childcare. This project contributed toward women's economic independence and improved status. “My long-held dream has finally come true,” said one beneficiary. And another commented, “The forest has been regenerated to an astonishing degree, which gave me confidence. I can now support my family with crops and sell the surplus to enrich our lives.”
In 2024, Soka Gakkai and ITTO launched a similar forest restoration project in two communities in the Republic of Benin. This will also be a four-year project.
