FAQS

Having a positive impact on the planet is at the heart of everything we do. TERRAGRN's projects sustainably restore degraded lands to thriving forests and contribute to carbon sequestering which is vital for our world's survival. By helping the planet, TERRAGRN addresses the interconnected interconnected issues of people and prosperity, creating jobs and economic opportunities that are based in the green economy, thus replacing an economy reliant on fossil fuels and, once again, helping the planet.

TERRAGRN's mission is a to develop and operate large-scale biodiverse agroforests, sustainably growing a range of materials and products for other sectors, to address the interconnected challenges of ecology, climate, food, and energy, and to provide measurable socio-economic development for local communities.

South Africa's vast areas of barren land and good rainfall make it ideal for agroforestry and for growing a diversity of plants. The South African government has recently laid out an ambitious development plan to create an inclusive economy with more jobs and skills and to move away from their reliance on coal and fossil fuels. This means there is a large labour force ready to transition into jobs in the green economy and who can work, upskill and contribute to TERRAGRN's socio-economic and environmental mission.

Our first agroforest will generate significant employment opportunities and community development. It will contribute to and stimulate national climate action and be a key player in the 'Just Energy Transition Partnership' (JETP) between South Africa and Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union which was agreed upon at COP26 and will support South Africa to phase out coal.

Mpumalanga is currently the coal-mining heartland of South Africa. It's lands have been degraded due to lack of land us over long periods of time, continuous tree-cutting and pollution for coal mining in the region. TERRAGRN's agroforestry system is designed to restore lands and soil tests we have conducted have shown this will be feasible in Mpumalanga conditions. Furthermore, the coal mining industries are being shut down over the next decade, leaving tens and thousands of locals without employment. The is urgent need to cultivate new jobs and TERRAGRN's agroforest will provide employment opportunities as well as training, upskilling and a focus on employing women. The agroforest will also create the conditions for adjacent enterprise opportunities for the local communities.

The land we have identified and will lease in Mpumalanga is owned by the local community under the governance of Manala Mgibe Communal Property Association (CPA). The land has existing agricultural and water use permits.

TERRAGRN, in partnership with the community through the Manala Mgibe Traditional Council and Community Property Association, has developed detailed plans to improve soil health and microbial life in soil, implement stormwater harvest schemes (aka rainwater harvest schemes), and grow and operate a species diverse agroforest using regenerative methods using plant and animal compost and strictly no chemicals.

TERRAGRN has agreed upon a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Manala Mgibe Traditional Council in September 2021 to lease 350,000 Hectares of land in Mpumalanga. TERRAGRN will conduct a detailed land survey in 2023 to select the specific parcels of land for the 5,000+ hectares of agroforest.

An agroforest is farming land that has been planted with a diversity of crops including trees, shrubs, crops and pasturelands (it is the opposite of monoculture farmland).

Agroforestry land management systems have multiple benefits including:

● Producing significantly more yields

● Providing income security for farmers

● Improving soil structure

● Encouraging flora and fauna biodiversity to flourish

● Restoring damaged waterways

● Sequestering carbon more efficiently than mono-crop planting

● Being more future-proof in their resilience to changing environmental conditions

TERRAGRN's agroforest will contain 10+ million plants and trees across 5,000 hectares (that’s almost 1,000 football fields worth of new forest!). It will be comprised of a mixture of indigenous trees for conservation purposes, a productive food forest with varieties of fruit trees, nut trees and stone fruit plants, and various approved species of non-invasive bamboo. All of these will be intercropped to develop a thriving, resilient and biodiverse ecosystem.

Bamboo is an amazing and unique plant.

It grows very quickly and can live for 60-120 years providing green cover for decades. It can be harvested in a sustainable manner as it is a fast growing resource and is classified as a grass rather than a tree, because it renews itself even when cut with new shoots growing from the root system every year. These shoot grow to their full height within 12 months. Bamboo forests act as carbon sinks, absorbing 40% more carbon dioxide than hardwood forests and emitting 35% more oxygen than other plants, helping to reduce carbon dioxide levels and mitigate the climate crisis.

Harvested bamboo has a huge range of applications. It can be used in energy production as biomass, as well as in the textile, paper, furniture and construction industries, among others, and can replace environmentally damaging or energy, water and land intensive material such as steel, plastic, cotton and MDF.

Yes, but only in good ways! The local biodiversity is improved by planting bamboo because bamboo thrives in problem soils, needs less water than other plants and can be grown on uneven or sloped terrain. Bamboo acts as a windbreak and it's sturdy root systems prevent erosion, regulate water flow and improve ground water levels and health. All of this means that the bamboo will help to restore the barren lands of the region and allow local plants that disappeared due to poor land management to return. Planting bamboo along with food crops and indigenous trees will make the area more resilient and, over time, bamboo will help to bring even more flora and fauna to the Mpumalanga.

There are several varieties of Bamboo in the world and in South Africa. TERRAGRN will use a clumping type which is non-invasive and the specific species Bambusa Balcooa which will be planted is already naturalised in South Africa.

Regenerative agriculture focuses on restoring land and communities through the practice of farming rather than destroying them. TERRAGRN's sustainable agroforest does not use artificial fertilisers or chemicals, instead we practice soil regeneration techniques that introduce plant and animal compost and biochar as fertilisers and a careful selection of plant combinations for integrated pest management. The project employs members of the community and, as shareholders, the community will benefit in the short and long-terms in the prosperity of the venture.

Biodiversity is all the different kinds of living organisms found in one area (animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms etc.) that work together as a natural ecosystem to maintain balance and support life. TERRAGRN is turning degraded unused land into a thriving biodiverse forest that will attract the flora and fauna that previously formed the ecosystem of this land to return.

Terragrn will only plant indigenous plants or plants that are naturalised in South Africa.

Impact at scale is critical to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis in a meaningful way. Working on a large-scale will create significant, tangible and measurable positive impact on carbon sequestration, climate change, energy transition, food security and socio-economic development.

All of the concepts that we are bringing together (such as agroforestry with bamboo) have been tried and proven in other geographic markets. We are bringing these together proven holistic solutions. The main unknown is the condition of South African soil and water conditions. Hence, have created a small R&D site on 222 hectares of land over 15 months to assess, learn and adapt before we start to scale-up in to 5,000+ hectares starting from 2024.

We are working closely with local chiefs, government departments, the Manala Mgibe Traditional Council and The Presidency and have had positive and encouraging support and responses from them. In addition TERRAGRN has set up a local subsidiary called TERRAGRN SA Pty Limited (subsidiary of TERRAGRN). It is a local company governed by local management appointed by TERRAGRN. Its mandate is to turn degraded unused land into long term sustainable use, providing employment and economic development in the community. We believe in the power of collaboration and investment in communities.

We have appointed highly experienced agroforest operations team on the ground, and supplement this team with advisors and technical experts who have rich experiences in designing and managing such plantations. Read more about our team in our Team section on this website.

The Mpumalanga region is characterised by high rates of unemployment and has a large workforce that are transitioning from the coal mining industry and will need new employment opportunities which TERRAGRN will provide. We will not need to migrate labour from other regions.

TERRAGRN's innovation lies in the creation of an environmentally and socially regenerative business that challenges the conventional belief that focusing on the planet could compromise shareholder returns. We are a private sector company that brings various technical partners, sustainable methodologies and nature-based solutions together to address the triple bottom line of People, Planet and Prosperity.

Excitingly, we are already underway. We launched the first phase of the South African agroforest in 2022 and have planted some 50 Ha across 222 hectares of land and employing 42 people. Starting in 2024 we are beginning to scale-up with the 5,000+ hectares of agroforest planted by 2030.

We hope that as many people and companies as possible can replicate and build on the work we have done to bring together business and agroforests which is why we are making our blueprint open and public.

We are working with, and receiving support from, a reputable ecosystem of global institutions that specialise in creating planet-positive businesses in a time of climate crisis. TERRAGRN's methods for developing the agroforest and its infrastructure will become part of the library of these institutions and be made publicly available once they our agroforest has been successfully piloted and is running. We are also carefully documenting our journey, sharing knowledge and publicising our learnings along the way on widely available platforms.

Our agroforest will be so effective at sequestering carbon that TERRAGRN will generate carbon credits. These are tradable assets which can be sold and bought and one carbon credit is equal to one tonne of carbon dioxide or the equivalent amount of greenhouse gas reduced, sequestered or avoided. We are also working on assessing the potential for biodiversity credits. These specifically contribute to goals 16 and 17 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.