An Underground Forest: a solution to restoring degraded land at our feet | Tony Rinaudo | TEDxSydney

NOTE FROM TED: Farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR) for climate change remains an ongoing field of study. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/t...
Tony had a Eureka moment on a dirt road in Niger, West Africa when he realized that a useless looking bush was, in fact, a tree. It transformed his approach to restoring degraded forests. Tony and a team of local staff and farmers developed Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), to prune and protect trees growing from stumps and roots. It proved to be fast and cheap - by some estimates, up to 36 times cheaper than planting trees. FMNR has since been introduced to 29 countries. These efforts, along with traditional and spontaneous movements have so far restored resulted more than 18 million hectares of land. Tony’s vision? To use this simple yet powerful solution to combat climate change and poverty by restoring 1 billion hectares of degraded land, reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide by up to 25%, and creating a more liveable planet for us all. Tony is a Natural Resources Management Specialist and agronomist who has worked for World Vision for a number of years. Tony’s quite the green thumb, with a list of achievements in developing and promoting agricultural-forestry-pastoral systems. This has resulted in him being nominated for, and winning several international awards. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@Aeyekay0]

Permaculture is so interesting, awesome work mate

[@v3gan4life]

Great work, we gotta remember this for our future

[@amytan2682]

Well done, Tony!

[@victorchiiba290]

Great work indeed !!!!. This is a cheaper and yet very effective method of bringing back lost forests.

[@amanthilynch1785]

Great work Tony! We are blessed abundantly by that simple prayer you prayed!

[@robertwalle5087]

30 years in watershed work and soil conservation. Best advice.

[@adamvalvasori]

You are the best Tony. All I can say is thank you!

[@udoheinz7845]

Amazing!
Work with nature and not against it.

[@maiwasejere6167]

Amazing 😍

[@sonamgyatso6890]

wow great initiative seemingly very simple yet our agriculture practices are getting laboratory based intervention?

[@Billimarie]

Wonderfully said! We have a lot of creosote here in the western Mojave. Which season do you recommend pruning?

[@gerole.3881]

Share it with your African friends

[@RK-ym3gp]

Can the THAR dessert be converted likewise