Diversified breadfruit agroforestry in Guinea, West Africa for food security and economic development…
This project is to supports the Kissidugu School of Traditional Music & Dance & Education in fulfilling our mission to perpetuate Guinean cultural arts through providing a sustainable food source for our school while also increasing food production in our local community.
Guinea is a beautiful country with an abundance of cultural and natural resources; yet many Guineans live in poverty and are food insecure.
40% of the population in Guinea lives on less than $2 a day.
The country’s predominant staple is imported, white rice and lacking nutrients, and food distribution is can be unpredictable as transportation is extremely difficult with severely damaged roads from the extractive mining industry.
The Kissidugu Breadfruit project addresses these severe food insecurity challenges through regenerative breadfruit agroforestry.
Breadfruit is a Tree of Life, producing a nutritious, starchy fruit, while providing many other uses and ecological services such as soil & watershed improvement and carbon sequestration to name a few. 100 lbs of rice in Guinea costs approximately $100 USD and can feed a family of four for about one month; whereas one breadfruit tree can feed a family of four all year for forty years.
80% of the worldʻs population that suffers from hunger & poverty reside in the tropics where Breadfruit thrives. Breadfruit is already growing & appreciated in rural Guinea, though it is under utilized.
In Polynesia, where Breadfruit has been cultivated for over a millennia, it has traditionally been grown with other plants in diversity creating resilient & incredibly productive agroforest-ecosystems. We are companion planting common, local food crops with the breadfruit trees at the Kissidugu School Farm to increase our farm’s productivity, nutritional output, potential revenues, and seasonality of harvest and are planting coconut, mango, spicy peppers, sweet potato, cassava, ginger, rice, and more!
THE KISSIDUGU BREADFRUIT PROJECT HISTORY
In 2019, we explored breadfruit culture & use in Guinea, West Africa. We found that there are already lots of trees in the surrounding villages.
In 2021, we launched the Kissidugu Breadfruit Project in partnership with the Trees That Feed Foundation and with the support of many generous donors, volunteers & supporters. Our dedicated team successfully;
- Planted 200 breadfruit trees
- Built an 800 sq ft foot nursery
- 1000 sq ft farmhouse
- Installed a water well for irrigation.
In 2024, we hosted a Breadfruit Agroforestry Training for 16 Guinean Women and planted 120 diverse fruit trees (coconut, avocado, tugi (West African Palm), guava, mango, and other fruit trees)
BROAD PROJECT TIMELINE
Phase 1 (COMPLETED): Set up breadfruit tree nursery, plant 200 trees, build farm house & install a water well (January 2022 – 2023- completed)
Phase 2 (COMPLETED): Education & training through a Women’s Farmer Training Program at the Kissidugu Farm in Guinea for 12 Guinean women focusing on;
- propagation,
- processing & preservation,
- polyculture (diversified agroforestry planting),
- Preparation– cooking Guinean Style.
Phase 3 (CURRENT): Ongoing farm maintenance (regular watering and weeding), farm house infrastructure improvements to establish farm steward housing, nursery shade house repairs and improvements and farm water well improvements. (2026 – 2027)
Phase 4 (Future):Establish a processing facility, provide our team with hands-on training to preserve breadfruit & co-crops, make pilot products & scale the breadfruit nursery. Engage local farmers & community members to also grow breadfruit by distributing trees (2027 – ongoing).
TTFF has committed to purchasing every tree our school produces! Our aim is to sell the first trees out of our nursery 2024 – 2025.
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HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS PROJECT
You can share our project with your family & friends, donate for 2026 – 2027 activities.
INUWALI! (THANK YOU) For your continued support!