Tagba Rainforest Restoration Project: Roots, Canopy & Community

Project Context, Need, and Ecosystem :

Tagba is a village in the Agou Prefecture, southwestern Togo, located approximately 100 kilometres from Lomé (Capital city). It sits within Togo's Ecological Zone IV ( the southern portion of the Togo Mountains ) characterised by a sub-equatorial transition climate with a tropical Guinean mountainous character. This zone supports some of Togo's richest semi-deciduous forests, home to ecologically significant native species including Terminalia superba, Milicia excelsa, Erythrophleum suaveolens, Antiaris africana, and Khaya grandifoliola. Dominated by the Monts du Togo mountain chain, the landscape transitions from dense forest cover at higher elevations to savanna woodlands in the lowlands, with annual rainfall reaching up to 1,500 mm and temperatures averaging around 25°C year-round.

Despite being the best-conserved forest zone in Togo, Zone IV is under growing pressure. Togo's annual deforestation rate of 4.5% (among the highest in the world) is driven by agricultural expansion, illegal logging, recurrent bush fires, and escalating demand for wood energy. In Tagba, this has meant the near-total clearing of the community's surrounding forest for farmland and charcoal production. The consequences have been severe: soil degradation, declining agricultural yields, and a deepening cycle of rural poverty that has left farming families with fewer resources and fewer options each season.

The Project Details and Description:

Earth Guardians began working in Tagba in 2023, not with a pre-designed plan, but through a process of deep listening and co-construction with the community. From this foundation, the project was built around three mutually reinforcing priorities: forest restoration, regenerative agriculture, and women's economic empowerment.

The long-term vision is to restore 300 hectares of community forest in Tagba by 2030, while simultaneously developing income-generating activities that are fully compatible with sustainable forest management. Beyond Tagba, the project is designed as a replicable model of community-led rural sustainability, one that can be scaled to other villages across Togo and West Africa.

Achievements to Date:

In three years of implementation, Earth Guardians and the Tagba community have achieved the following:

• 21,000 trees planted across reforestation sites in Tagba
• 52 hectares of community forest restored and placed under active community stewardship, formally recognised by Togo's Ministry of the Environment
• 200 community members trained in agroecology and regenerative agriculture practices
• 2 women's agricultural cooperatives established, each led  by a women's farmers group

These results demonstrate both the community's commitment and the effectiveness of a participatory, locally rooted approach.

Next Phase and fundraising aim:

Building on these achievements, the next phase of the project will deepen impact across four priority areas:

Continued Reforestation:  An additional 2,000 trees will be planted across 2.5 hectares of degraded land, using locally appropriate native species selected for their ecological and economic value to the community.

Forest Protection and Community Awareness: Targeted workshops on overgrazing prevention and bushfire management will be organised for community members and local stakeholders. Signage will be installed at key entry points to the forest to discourage harmful transhumance practices and raise awareness among pastoralists passing through the area.

Cassava Processing and Value Chain Development: Two women's groups, each comprising 25 members, will be supported in acquiring cassava processing machinery. This will enable women farmers to process cassava locally and market value-added products ( including gari, flour, and other derivatives )significantly increasing household income and reducing post-harvest losses.

Cooperative Formalisation and Capacity Building: Both cooperatives will be formally registered as legal entities. Members will receive structured training in micro-enterprise management, financial literacy, and food hygiene practices, ensuring that the economic gains generated are durable, well-governed, and independent over the long term.

Conclusion:

Togo is losing its forests at an alarming rate, and even its most ecologically valuable zones are not immune. Tagba is demonstrating that a different path is possible where communities lead their own restoration, women drive economic transformation, and conservation and livelihoods reinforce rather than compete with each other. By 2030, the project aims to leave behind not only 300 hectares of restored forest, but a community equipped with the knowledge, institutions, and economic resilience to protect and sustain it for generations to come.