Building climate resilience through women-led agroforestry tree nurseries in Kenya
Lake Elementaita Tree Nurseries Self Help Group (LETNSHG) is a producer organization in Gilgil Sub-County, Nakuru County, Kenya, supported by the Forest and Farm Facility to commercialize climate-resilient tree nursery businesses. Founded in 2004 by six women, the group has grown to 62 members, with 48 members operating nurseries along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway. Together they produce and sell more than 3 million seedlings annually, with a turnover of about KSh 20 million. Operating in a dryland area with annual rainfall of about 654 mm, the group faced rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, droughts, floods, and prolonged dry spells, which reduced seedling survival, increased production costs and disrupted sales, with disproportionate impacts on women and youth due to increased labour demands and limited financial buffers.
In response, LETNSHG adopted a six-step resilience model based on agroecological, economic, social, partnership, customer and marketing diversification.