The Project is focused on improving sustainable practices and efficiency in land use management in forest and forest based agriculture including plantations and agroforests. Refocusing the populace on land use is critical to reducing the high rate of deforestation, improving livelihoods and enhancing the ecosystem functioning of the forest and woodland ecosystems. Specifically, the Project will address proper management of biodiversity in cocoa agroforests in forest zones by promoting rational use of pesticides, protecting lower plants. Emphasis will be on those plants that add value to environmental health, and those that support livelihoods and provide income to rural populations. The Project has a focus on Thaumatococus danielli, a forest product which is already noted as a useful plant for people of tropical forest zone of West Africa. Thaumatoccocus danielli leaves is popular as a packaging material for hot food in southern Nigeria. Trade on T.danielli provides domestic support to about 1 million families and serve as a source of occupation for about 75,000 women in different parts of Nigeria, The plant is known to be popular in forest areas but has been found to grow well in planted forest areas, homegardens and under forest based plantations. T.danielli leaves is already facing competition with nylon and plastics as a packaging material, due to its scarcity. The Project will expand the network of trade in T.danielli leaves. A stronger rural-urban trade linkage will be established and an Enterprise Development scheme will focus on a number of urban based trade merchants on T.danielli distribution and marketing in different parts of Nigeria. There will be more work on technological innovation by investing on craft making and production of leaf cups and plates from the T.danielli leaves
Preparing a database of information on the status and spatial distribution of T.danielli in Nigeria will be an important part of the Project. A land based survey and a back up GIS analysis of the distribution pattern of T.danielli in forest ecological zones of Nigeria will be carried out. This will provide a useful background for assessing the capacity potential of Nigeria for current and future production of the T.danielli in forests and forest based agriculture

The Project will upgrade the level of awareness and public education on the importance of T.danielli as a packaging material for food industry and the health value of the protein sugar content of its seed as food seasoning material. The Project will upscale the level of awareness against the use of nylon for food packaging and recommendation of T.danielli as the best solution for local hot food packaging in Nigeria. An annual Leaf Art exhibition will be organized to promote use of available local materials to support varied forms of human needs and to sensitize more people on the need to reduce the rate of breakdown of food culture in Nigerian societies.
Our Project base is the Ileran Villages in Ayedire Local Government area of Osun State where we have set the stage for developing advocacy and practical tools for better management of agroforests through Farmer Field Schools and Women Trade in T.danielli. This Project will expand to two other States, Ogun and Ekiti in the tropical forest zone of south west Nigeria. The mapping component of the Project will expand to all areas where T.danielli are found in forests and plantations in Nigeria.