Sidama's smallholder farmers occupy a subsistence niche partitioned between traditional false banana ('enset') agropastoralism, and transitional maize farming. Enset production is low risk, and provides food even in dry years, while maize farming is high risk and high yield, requiring one growing season from planting to harvest. The impacts of climate change are making growing maize increasingly risky.

In the project area, farm homesteads typically include a mix of:

• Pasture for livestock such as cattle, sheep, or goats.
• False banana as an all-season staple food.
• Highland bamboo for basic household needs such as timber, fuel, fencing, matting, furniture, basketry, as well as for cash income.
• Eucalyptus for longer-term savings and income.
• Other tree species to provide fuel, timber, fodder, and medicine
• Seasonal barley, used for making bread as well as feed for livestock.

We hope to support smallholder farmers through our Forest Landscape Restoration Program by planting bamboo seedlings on spare land, providing technical training as well as access to loans for smallholders to optimize on-farm incomes.