Maldives launches agroforestry project to boost food security, climate resilience
Ten-island initiative will combine fruit trees and food crops to reduce import dependence, restore degraded land and create new income opportunities for local communities
MALÉ, Maldives (MNTV) — The Maldives has launched a new agroforestry initiative across 10 islands as the low-lying island nation seeks to strengthen food security, reduce its heavy dependence on imported food and make its agricultural sector more resilient to climate change.
The project, announced after an agreement between the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy and the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources, will transform selected plots into agroforestry farms where fruit trees, staple crops and soil-enriching tree species will be cultivated together.
Unlike conventional farming, agroforestry integrates trees with agricultural crops, helping improve soil fertility, retain moisture and increase biodiversity while allowing farmers to harvest multiple products from the same land.
The approach is increasingly being promoted worldwide as a way to improve food production while restoring ecosystems and reducing climate risks.
Under the initiative, the government will distribute 400,000 saplings across the participating islands and establish 10 community-managed nurseries to provide a long-term supply of planting material and support local participation in maintaining the farms.
The project also forms part of the Maldives’ nationwide Five Million Trees Program, under which about 1.8 million trees have already been planted.
Officials say expanding tree cover alongside food production will help capture carbon, reduce soil erosion and limit runoff that can damage the country’s fragile coral reef ecosystems.
For the Maldives, where limited arable land and a dispersed geography leave the country heavily reliant on imported food, improving domestic agricultural production has become an increasingly important priority.
Climate change, rising temperatures and extreme weather events have also heightened concerns about the resilience of food supply chains for the Indian Ocean archipelago.
Officials say the agroforestry farms are expected to diversify farmers’ incomes through the production of fruits, crops and value-added agricultural products while creating new market opportunities for rural communities.
Over time, the initiative is intended to increase domestic food production, lower reliance on imports and support the country’s broader transition toward a more sustainable and climate-resilient economy.
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