THE Grapevine

OPERATION RESTORATION The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030 is well underway, recognising seven flagship initiatives with big goals to restore and protect vital ecosystems and communities all over the planet. Five Andean countries under the banner Acción Andina are working to restore forest ecosystems, home to more than 45,000 plant species and numerous birds, reptiles and amphibians. Their ambitious goal is to protect one million hectares. Regreening Africa is a multi-nation project tackling creeping desertification, which affects 45 per cent of Africa’s landmass. The aim is to restore 5 million acres, boosting biodiversity and supporting local communities by identifying successful scalable solutions appropriate to those communities. Another African initiative, Trees for the Future, is helping hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers learn a regenerative agroforestry technique called the Forest Garden Approach. Over the…