Protecting biodiversity

The protection and regeneration of the greatest possible biodiversity is the core objective of our work in Sierra Leone. The loss of biodiversity threatens the earth’s ecosystem even more than the increase in greenhouse gases. Climate change is, of course, one of the main drivers of species extinction.

The primeval forests of West Africa are a huge gene pool of biodiversity, many times larger than any forest in Central Europe. This includes not only the incredibly large number of different tree species, but also countless other plants and, of course, a large number of different wild animals – from insects to birds and reptiles to mammals. If the forest dies, people die too.

The problem: in 90% of global reforestation projects, only a few different tree species are planted (“low biodiversity”), 45% of projects even consist of monocultures and mean the end of all biodiversity. Our goal is to restore the original rainforest. Of the more than 50 different tree species available there, we currently grow well over 30 varieties in our forest tree nurseries.

A species-rich forest is not an end in itself. A healthy forest offers many advantages such as increased soil fertility and water retention. A forest with little biodiversity does not offer these advantages. The latter is also much more susceptible to pests and therefore less robust and sustainable – and it even harms neighboring farmers. In addition, only a species-rich forest provides sufficient food for the diverse animal world, from the vital small pollinators to the large predators.

The regeneration of West Africa’s immense biodiversity is complex. And expensive. Projects that promise their investors returns of up to 10% shy away from this effort because it is not lucrative. The result is unsatisfactory or even disastrous in the case of monocultures. A market-based approach has therefore not worked for decades. greenlimba gGmbH therefore finances its projects, which are implemented by the non-profit greenlimba Foundation Sierra Leone (GLFSL), exclusively through donations and grants.