ISSUE NO.47|JULY - SEPTEMBER 2020 FORESTS AND ENERGY | THE TREE FARMERS MAGAZINE FOR AFRICA| ENERGY IN WOODY BIOMASS UTILIZING TREE BIOMASS: MATHENGE CROTON NUTS HOME-GROWN (PROSOPIS FOR BIOFUEL, AND LOCALLY JULIFLORA) FOR FERTILIZERS AND OWNED ENERGY CHARCOAL FODDER FORESTS AND ENERGYTHE ACACIAS OF AFRICA BRIQUETTE PRODUCTION IN MAFINGA BGF INITIATES THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TIMBER MARKET I ISSUE 47 | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2020 1 | A PUBLICATION OF BETTER GLOBE FORESTRY | FORESTS AND ENERGY Wonders of Dryland Forestry he Schools’ Green Initiative Challenge is The ten-year project is designed as a competition a unique project implemented by KenGen amongst the participating institutions for the highest TFoundation in partnership with Better Globe seedling survival rates through the application of Forestry and Bamburi Cement Ltd. various innovations at the schools’ woodlots. The main objective is the greening of over 460 Currently, there are 500 schools from the three acres in the semi-arid counties of Embu, Kitui counties taking part in the afforestation contest for and Machakos with Mukau (M. volkensii) and the ultimate prize of educational trips, scholarship Muveshi (S. siamea) tree species as a way of opportunities, and other prizes. Plans are underway mitigating climate change and providing wood to add more schools in the coming years. fuel and alternative income opportunities for the local communities. The afforestation competition is in line with the Government of Kenya’s Vision 2030 to achieve Through the setting up of woodlots in participating 10% forest cover across the country. schools, the project acts as a change agent to establish a tree-planting culture for multiple benefits in dry-land areas. Panda Miti, Hifadhi Mazingira I 2 ISSUE 47 | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5. EDITORIAL 26. SPECIES OF THE QUARTER A BRIEF FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF THE ACACIAS OF AFRICA By Jan Vandenabeele THE ECONOMICALLY MOST IMPORTANT INDIGENOUS SPECIES OF THE DRYLANDS 6. NEWS & EVENTS By Franchis Gachathi THE UGANDA FOREST FAIR 2020 AN EXHIBITION PROMOTING COMMERCIAL FORESTRY 30. ADVERT - LONZA By Diana Ahebwe IT’S ALL ABOUT CONFIDENCE A CHOICE OF TRIED, TESTED AND TRUSTED PRESERVATIVE 7. NEWS & EVENTS PROTECTION FOR TIMBER BGF INITIATES THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL TIMBER MARKET 31. FORESTS & ENERGY WE ARE CONFIDENT By Jan Vandenabeele WORKING WITH TREES RATHER THAN AGAINST THEM INTEGRATING TREES ON THE FARM AS A SOURCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY By Roger Sharland 8. FORESTS & ENERGY ENERGY IN WOODY BIOMASS AND THE INDUSTRIES THAT ARE USING IT 36. FORESTS & ENERGY By Nellie Oduor, Emily Kitheka and Churchill Ogutu UTILIZING MATHENGE (PROSOPIS JULIFLORA) FOR CHARCOAL THE OTHER SIDE OF AN INVASIVE SPECIES By Grace Koech, Erick Otieno Wanjira, Moses Kirimi, Ignatius Siko, 12. FORESTS & ENERGY Wonders of Dryland Forestry Phosiso Sola, Mieke Bourne, Jonathan Muriuki and Mary Njenga SAVING TREES FROM THE FIRE BY USE OF LIQUID PETROLEUM GAS AND FIRELESS COOKERS By Fridah W. Mugo 42. FORESTS & ENERGY CONTENTS 15. FORESTS & ENERGY TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE CHARCOAL PRODUCTION IN GULU TREE BIOMASS: HOME-GROWN AND LOCALLY OWNED DISTRICT? A LEGAL INSTRUMENT THAT MIGHT WORK ENERGY By James Ocaka IT’S AN ASSET, AND NOT ONLY FOR THE POOR By Racheal Nalule 45. FORESTS & ENERGY he Schools’ Green Initiative Challenge is The ten-year project is designed as a competition 18. FORESTS & ENERGY SCHOOL CHILDREN ALSO NEED TO EAT a unique project implemented by KenGen RURAL SCHOOLS PUT AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON THE amongst the participating institutions for the highest CLEAN BUT NOT ATTRACTIVE ENOUGH ENVIRONMENT Foundation in partnership with Better Globe seedling survival rates through the application of WHY CLEAN COOKING TECHNOLOGIES ARE NOT POPULAR By Daniel Ndolo and Jan Vandenabeele T By John Lwegaba and Sherifa Nabakooza Forestry and Bamburi Cement Ltd. various innovations at the schools’ woodlots. 48. SUCCESSFUL COMPANY 20. FORESTS & ENERGY CROTON NUTS FOR BIOFUEL, FERTILIZERS AND FODDER The main objective is the greening of over 460 Currently, there are 500 schools from the three WOOD ENERGY FOR CURING TEA ECO FUELS KENYA MAKES SUSTAINABLE USE OF CROTON A VISIT TO UNILEVER IN MUFINDI MEGALOCARPUS acres in the semi-arid counties of Embu, Kitui counties taking part in the afforestation contest for By Jan Vandenabeele By McRae Muthomi & Jan Vandenabeele and Machakos with Mukau (M. volkensii) and the ultimate prize of educational trips, scholarship 51. BINGWA MEDIA ADVERT Muveshi (S. siamea) tree species as a way of opportunities, and other prizes. Plans are underway 22. FORESTS & ENERGY mitigating climate change and providing wood to add more schools in the coming years. WOOD WASTE PROVIDES AN INCOME 51. WATER ALTHOUGH EXISTING, THE AVAILABLE MARKET FOR WOOD THE WATER LEVEL OF LAKE VICTORIA ON AN ALL-TIME HIGH fuel and alternative income opportunities for the WASTE IN KAMPALA IS LIMITED LOADS OF ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES local communities. The afforestation competition is in line with the By Diana Ahebwe By Callist Tindimugaya Government of Kenya’s Vision 2030 to achieve 54. BGF AD Through the setting up of woodlots in participating 10% forest cover across the country. 24. FORESTS & ENERGY BRIQUETTE PRODUCTION IN MAFINGA 55. INSIDE COVER: BGF AD schools, the project acts as a change agent to SAWMILL WASTE PUT TO PROFITABLE USE establish a tree-planting culture for multiple By Jan Vandenabeele 56. BACK COVER benefits in dry-land areas. COVER PHOTO Raw energy. Eucalyptus firewood in a burner of Unilever Tanzania. Panda Miti, Hifadhi Mazingira PHOTO BGF I 3 FORESTS AND ENERGY For Online Subscription 1. Go to www.mitionline.org SUBSCRIPTION 2. 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Bank: Stanbic Name:Bank, Uganda Better Globe Forestry Ltd Account Name: Better Globe Forestry Ltd - Miti A/C No. 01983501003113 Account Name: Better Globe Forestry Ltd - Miti Account Number:Bank 9030014325467 Name: DFCU, Nsambya AccountAccount No: No:010 010I000 327000 9485 327 9485(Kenya (Kenya shilling) shilling) 010 000 010005 0006377 005 (Euro 6377 Account) (Euro Account)Branch: Forest Mall Swift:4 SBICKENX Sort Code: 31007ISSUE 47 | JULY - SEPTEMBER 2020 Branch Kampala – Uganda Swift: SBICKENX Sort Code: 31007 Swift Code: SBICUGKXSwift Code: DFCUUGKA. MPESA:MPESA: Pay Pay Bill BillNo. No.888300 888300 Miti January - March 2018 MitiAccount: Account: January Miti Miti - March 2018 EDITORIAL people hugely overcut what is available. This makes F. Mugo write about “Saving the trees”, having J. Lwegaba & S. Nabakooza analyse “Why clean cooking technologies are not popular” and how the industry uses firewood and wood waste in a big way: articles on “Wood energy for curing tea”, “Wood waste provides an income” and Dear readers, “Briquette production in Mafinga”. This issue is about Forests and Energy. There Which trees are we talking about? Firstly, F. Gachati is a huge link between the two, and one can argue writes about “The acacias of Africa”, a vastly that aside storage of Carbon, energy provision is underestimated resources, ruthlessly preyed upon and currently the most important function of forests, at having multiple benefits. Then R. Sharland explains par -at least- with shielding biodiversity and water how farms can (and have) become important providers storage. In the lead article, N. Oduor gives an insight of biomass, while a team with M. Njenga explains how in exactly how much energy is available in trees, Prosopis juliflora,