SUSTAINABLE FUELWOOD IN ZAMBIA

Minimum amount of 1,000 seeds per species, healthy, disease-free, and freshly picked. This is for the Sustainable Fuelwood Agency which has a target of 1,000,000 saplings to be planted to replace trees harvested for firewood and charcoal.

Please contact Garry Brooks at:

African community Project@gmail.com

Here at Sustainable Fuelwood Agency, our first budget has been approved and we will be opening our main office in Lusaka soon.

On January 2, 2024, Minister Mutati of the Technology and Science Ministry and Senior Chief Mpezeni from Chipata my two partners on the Sustainable Fuelwood Steering Committee met with the President of Zambia and planned the way forward for the Sustainable Fuelwood Agency. It will soon be created, and the Agency will be responsible to the President to create a sustainable fuelwood industry. Also, while in Lusaka, Senior Chief Mpezeni received copies of my book Mr. Garry’s Collection of Zambian Trees that he will be giving to his 49 Chiefs that will be in the programme. They also gave the President a copy of my book. I look forward to the New Year.

I wish all my followers a Merry Christmas. Celebrate it in your own way.  Enjoy your family and the natural environment around you. It’s the time for peace and joy.

My very Best

Mr. Garry

Today, Sunday 17th of December, Senior Chief Mupezeni convened a meeting in Chipata to discuss the Sustainable Fuelwood Initiative. Almost 50 Traditional Leaders were in attendance. He has told me the meeting went very well.

This is not a scientific paper, so I will not get into the finer points of collecting carbon in sinks (in this case in trees). But, yes, you can get paid to grow blocks of trees that are left in their natural state and allowed to grow undisturbed and store carbon from the air. It does seem simple but many conditions must be met. The companies who are buying carbon credits are usually large companies that burn lots of fossil fuels, an example is airlines and transportation companies. You must be committed to giving up the use of acreage that you cannot disturb for farming or timber harvesting. Yes, you can still use the forest for food gathering (an example is mushrooms, grubs, fruit, and nuts) and leave it as natural forests attract tourism. It is the owner’s responsibility to prevent forest fires, disease, and theft. A qualified Forester will need to determine a baseline at commencement and measure the growth of the carbon sink. His time for data collection is at a premium and then the carbon (which is measured by the ton must be sold). There are many companies that do this on a commission basis. So, is it worth it? Yes! I am hoping landowners who are registered with the Sustainable Fuelwood Initiative can set aside parcels of land inside their family holdings, investment land, and farms. The Chiefdoms we work with are getting the same advice. The loss of these lands for fuelwood production can be offset by plantations of fast-growing trees for fuelwood production. Remember that trees do not need prime agricultural land to grow successfully. Other benefits of creating these carbon sinks are many, but the most needed is the management of rainwater and erosion.

Thank you for all the emails I am getting offering your support. Together we can do this! The sustainable fuelwood initiative is really taking off. I have too many emails to send out so I will keep you updated and informed on this page from now on. That does not mean I will not answer any emails that you have sent me regarding a question you may have.

I am happy to tell you that two large Chiefdoms, one in the east and one in the north will start the sustainable fuelwood initiative in the new year. Many thanks go to Minister Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science for his unrelenting help and to The President of Zambia.

First, I would like to thank everyone who has shown an interest in this bold step forward. It has been a struggle, but things are starting to take shape.  I am receiving hundreds of emails from people who are concerned about the way the fuelwood industry has progressed to the state it is in. Very little control or planning has gone into the thought of sustainability to one of the biggest home-grown industries in Zambia. Although it has not been publicly launched much is being done behind the scenes to prepare for startup.  Collecting names and locations of interested people creates an important database for future contacts and locations, making moving forward much easier. The Government of Zambia is well represented in the startup by Felix Mutati the Minister of Technology and Science. 

Please keep up your support for this huge step forward in making the fuelwood industry sustainable. We can do this together. Hoping to hear from you at africancommunityproject@gmail.com

Mr. Garry

In order to control the rampant cutting of trees for charcoal production across Zambia it is necessary to record the ownership of the land where the charcoal has been made. This ownership can be proven by a simple land deed, known as traditionally held lands, a community-run forest, or on government land with a permit. Communities should start to plan to create community forests because the time will come when you must show ownership of the fuelwood you have harvested, that all taxes and fees are paid, and that you have replaced the harvested trees with young saplings to create sustainability. In the future, all fuelwoods will also need a barcoded tag attached to be able to be transported or sold.