At 82, Mzee Mika Mukoko has transformed his modest two-acre farm in Vihiga County, Kenya, into an inspiring example of farmer-led agroecological innovation. A former wildlife conservationist trained in organic farming at the Rodale Institute (US), Mukoko blends traditional wisdom with modern science to create a lighthouse for regenerative agriculture. His farm demonstrates how smallholder farmers can achieve ecological resilience, economic viability, and community empowerment on limited land.
The foundation of his system is soil restoration. Mukoko produces biochar from crop residues and animal bones, crafts nutrient-rich Terra Preta compost, and applies fermented liquid fertilizers to revive degraded soils. For pest management, he deploys plant-based biopesticides, raised planting mounds for mole control and drainage, and diversified polycultures to maintain ecosystem balance. Space-efficient designs, including floating gardens, vertical cropping, and integrated multi-story systems, maximize yields while conserving biodiversity. These innovations have attracted over 25 bird species, boosted pollinator populations, and improved soil resilience to climate extremes.
Mukoko applies circular bioeconomy principles, turning farm outputs into value-added products for local markets, reducing waste, and extending shelf life. His mentorship of women, youth, and fellow farmers ensures the transfer of agroecological skills, building local capacity for sustainable food systems. By connecting grassroots ingenuity with science, policy, and investment, Mzee Mukoko’s work offers a compelling model for climate-resilient, inclusive, and regenerative food systems, safeguarding agroecological heritage for future generations.
Tag: Bioeconomy
Gender responsive resource recovery and reuse (RRR) in refugee settings in Africa – for food, energy, and climate resilience
Sub-Saharan Africa, hosts about a third of the global refugee population. The refugee population is disproportionately women and children. Refugees are hosted in fragile arid ecosystems and increase the pressure on resources resulting in land degradation and conflict. Building knowledge and skills of refugee and host communities can shift the paradigm from ‘land degradation’ to ‘land restoration and resilient livelihoods’.
The Resource Recovery and Reuse (RRR) in Refugee Settlements in Africa project was implemented in 2019-2023 in six refugee camps and settlements and their surrounding host communities in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. The aim of the project was to enhance the resilience of these communities by introducing and implementing RRR innovations researched by CGIAR Centers, including the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), and the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and offer innovative solutions for enhanced food and energy security from a circular bioeconomy perspective.
Optimizing the role of planted forests in the bioeconomy
The concept of a biobased economy has emerged in response to growing societal concerns about sustainable resource use, aiming to reduce reliance on fossil-based and non-renewable materials while minimizing environmental impacts. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from material production have surged from 5 gigatonnes of CO₂-equivalent (GtCO₂-eq) in 1995 to 11.5 GtCO₂-eq in 2015, accounting for 23% of global GHG emissions. In contrast, the global harvested wood products pool served as a net carbon sink of 335 million tonnes CO₂-equivalent (MtCO₂-eq) in 2015. Driven by population and economic growth, raw material consumption is expected to rise by 88%—from 89 gigatonnes in 2017 to 167 gigatonnes by 2060—while biomass demand will increase by 68%, primarily for wood rather than food and feed. However, shifting demand toward bioproducts alone is insufficient; sustainable production and sourcing of biomass must also be prioritized to ensure a truly sustainable bioeconomy. Future biomass production must align with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets to halt deforestation, reverse land degradation, and protect primary ecosystems by 2030.
Natural resources management for resilient inclusive rural transformation
Increasing land and water scarcity, unequal distribution and competition over resource use, land degradation and biodiversity loss, exacerbated by climate change, question the capacity of current models of agriculture growth to sustain inclusive resilient rural development. This paper invites to integrate in rural development policies and investment a focus on sustainable, inclusive and adaptive management of natural resources. It combines a conceptual framework based on scientific literature with illustrative examples enriched by the perspectives of the experts participating in two workshops. It proposes 4 key pathways (resource efficiency, systems diversification, sustainable bioeconomy, and landscape approaches) to achieve more inclusive and resilient agrifood systems.
Seeing the wood in the forests
The report assesses how much wood we are likely to have now and in the future to support a transformational change towards a circular bioeconomy, and explores the potential and implications for its uses. It considers the structural changes affecting the use of wood globally and the potential for innovation in forest-based product markets, from engineered wood products in the construction sector, pulp used for textiles, chemicals, bioplastics and energy, to the growing number of small niche markets, including cosmetics, food additives and pharmaceuticals. It explores the future demand for roundwood under business-as-usual scenarios and when contemplating trends which curb the use of wood while foreseeing increased demand for other forest bioproducts. Finally, it describes the need for investment in research to synthesise current knowledge and assess future environmental, economic, social and policy prospects, which will support a truly sustainable development of the circular bioeconomy.
Scaling circular bio-economy solutions in refugee settings: a peer-to-peer capacity building approach
Africa hosts a significant portion of the global refugee population, notably in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. Despite prolonged stays in host countries, refugees often struggle to establish self-reliant livelihoods due to legal restrictions on work permits and travel, hampering economic empowerment. Indeed, there is a need for livelihood models that do not undermine the economies of low-Participants are shown how to set up a vegetable nursery in Rhino Refugee Settlement, Uganda (photo: Danish Refugee Council). RRR in Refugee Settlements in Africa Project Brief Series – No. 4and middle-income countries where local populations are already struggling. As a result, food insecurity and cooking energy poverty are major challenges facing humanitarian work. Food rations, primarily cereals and pulses, require intensive cooking, while firewood provision is limited, leading to food-for-fuel exchanges or conflicts.
Water consumption of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) from a site in northern Kazakhstan
Purpose: This study investigated the water consumption (crop evapotranspiration) of industrial hemp on a newly established hemp field in Aqmola Region of Northern Kazakhstan. Methodology: The water consumption of hemp was investigated through direct measurements of the sapflow movement during the second half of the growing season 2021. These sapflow data yielded data on the water consumption. The water consumption of the first part of the growing season was assessed through the Penman-Monteith approach by FAO. Findings: The water consumption of hemp was 353 mm over the growing season at a stem yield of 10 t/ha. Under the water supply conditions of the study site, hemp offers higher yields than grasslands or grains. Originality/value: This is the first study that revealed data on water consumption of hemp for the region Central Asia as a potential
Water productivity of Paulownia tomentosa x fortunei (Shan Tong) in a plantation at Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia
Central Asia is a region where forests are naturally scarce and additionally are under high anthropogenic pressure due to an unmet demand for timber and fuelwood. Cultivation of fast-growing trees as a means to satisfy this need may, therefore, be instrumental to forest conservation and/or restoration efforts. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in Paulownia spp. as agroforestry or plantation tree. Paulownia is a deciduous tree genus of Chinese origin that is valued for its fast growth and light, yet sturdy wood, among other characteristics. This study investigated the water consumption, biomass production, and water productivity of Paulownia tomentosa x fortunei (trade name: Shan Tong) in a plantation setting on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan) over the course of the vegetation period 2019. The method employed was Granier’s thermal dissipation probe for measuring sap flow in trees. Estimated trunk biomass production per tree and season ranged from 1.52 to 3.41 kg, and the trees were found to consume between 433 and 613 l of water in total over the growing season. Water productivity, the amount of exploitable stem biomass produced per litre of water input, consequently ranged between 4.3 and 8.0 g l−1. As numerous studies suggest that the thermal dissipation method underestimates tree water consumption to varying degrees, these values likely represent the upper range of the species’ water productivity. A literature review shows its water productivity to be higher than that of regionally employed tree species such as Populus euphratica or Elaeagnus angustifolia.