Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative | Tanzania

Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative (MCDI) was founded in the belief that mpingo and other hardwood trees offer a unique opportunity for integrated conservation and rural development across large areas of their native habitat in Tanzania and Mozambique. MCDI’s aim is to use these trees as an economic tool to advance conservation of miombo woodlands and East African coastal forests. MCDI supports communities to market and sell more than 15 hardwood timbers in local, national and international markets. The income from timber is used by communities to facilitate rural development and livelihood improvement. This enables them to become more self-sufficient, and provides local beneficiaries with concrete incentives to protect their forests as economically valuable assets.

MCDI also promotes forest conservation and rural development in Tanzania by creating opportunities for rural villages to benefit from sustainably managing their forests and by vesting communities with the capacity and skills to turn local timber production into a commercial activity that fuels rural development and livelihood improvement. By showing communities how to unlock the value in their local forests, MCDI is creating opportunities for rural communities to pursue their own development aspirations. This is real empowerment, and makes MCDI’s approach unique compared to that of many other NGOs.

Learn more: mpingoconservation.org