CAAR, was created to meet the basic food and nutrition needs of the communities, enhance environmental sustainability and societal resilience in the face of climate change. Through integrated approach, CAAR is driving transformative agroecological research in Southeast Nigeria, through agricultural innovation system that will strongly address food and nutrition insecurities, mitigate climate change and increase local resilience and adaptation to climate risks.

Our Vision

To be the leading catalyst for sustainable agricultural development and climate resilience in sub–Saharan Africa, empowering communities to thrive in a changing world. Boosting local food and nutrition security, conserving indigenous economic trees and underutilized root and tuber crops, while promoting ecosystem services and biodiversity.

Our Expertise

• Local friendly farming systems geared towards meeting the food and nutrition needs of the communities and region
• Fallow management
• Cover cropping and legume intercropping
• Regenerative agroforestry solutions for sustainable agriculture, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem restoration
• Alley cropping and scattered agroforestry with fruit trees, indigenous economic trees and root and tuber crops
• Improved apiculture systems, snail and mushroom farming
• Capacity building and empowerment of farmers in vulnerable communities, especially youths and women through innovative training programs
• State-of-the-art regenerative agroforestry farm for research, demonstration, and knowledge sharing

Strategic Partnerships
• CAAR derives support from NRCRI’s collaborations with global leaders in Agriculture: Bill Gates Foundation, USAID, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), IFAD-IDS, OCP Africa and more

Our Team

The team, which is under the direction of Joy G. Emerald, consists of experts in plant production systems such as conservationists, social scientists, natural resource managers, ecologists, statisticians, agricultural meteorologists, and farm managers.
• Embracing interdisciplinary expertise in agroforestry, agronomy, climate change, forest ecology, soil science, economics and business

Our Impact

• Increasing the availability of food crops and fruits
• Creating jobs through entrepreneurship
• Transforming lives through revolutionizing traditional farming systems into business ventures
• Empowering communities to adapt, innovate, and thrive in a changing world
• Shaping the future of African agriculture through capacity building, innovation, and collaboration.

About the Regenerative Agroforestry Farm

Date of establishment: May 31, 2024
Layout:
The 2 ha of agroforestry farm of diverse indigenous economic trees including Bush mango (Irvingia gabonensis), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Treculia Africana, African oil bean (Pentaclethra macrophylla), Sour sop (Annona muricata), Dacryodes edulis, Mango (Mangifera indica), and Native pear (Dacryodes edulis). With Mucuna (Mucuna pruriens) introduced as a ground cover and intercrop in both alley and scattered tree sections.
Photos
1. The newly established Regenerative Agroforestry Farm of NRCRI, Umudike

2. The Young Regenerative Agroforestry Farm with Mucuna (Mucuna pruriens) cover cropping