Trees nurture nutrition
- From
-
Published on
18.02.19
- Impact Area

Foods from farms with trees — also known as agroforestry — are dense with nutrients. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and oils complement, and diversify, diets based on staple foods like rice, wheat and maize. This range of foods increases the nutritional quality of local diets, mostly owing to their micronutrients — mineral and vitamins — but also macronutrients, such as protein and carbohydrates.
Furthermore, these nutritional benefits can be available year-round and during periods of drought thanks to trees’ deep and extensive roots. Their roots make trees more resilient. This quality also helps tree foods bridge the ‘hunger gap’ that can occur before harvests of annual crops. To fully harness the benefits of trees, ICRAF has developed an approach called the Food Tree and Crop Portfolio. The portfolio helps with the selection of socioecologically suitable and nutritionally important food-tree species along with complementary vegetable, pulse and staple crops.
Pepper fruit in Nigeria. Photo by World Agroforestry
Related news
-
Agrobiodiversity for People and Planet: How Multifunctional Landscapes Safeguard Diversity, Resilience, and Livelihoods
Multifunctional Landscapes Science Program30.05.25-
Biodiversity
-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
-
Environmental health & biodiversity
-
Food security
-
Health
-
Nutrition
Agriculture and food systems have significantly affected over 75% of Earth's land surface, polluted …
Read more -
-
Scaling Solar Irrigation Through Living Labs: A Story of Evidence, Innovation, and Collaboration
Scaling for Impact Program28.05.25-
Climate adaptation & mitigation
-
Food security
As told by Amare Haileslasie, Principal Researcher What happens when farmers, financiers, innovators…
Read more -
-
IRRI and BADC organize crop cafeteria field day to evaluate suitability of rice varieties
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)27.05.25-
Food security
NOAKHALI, Bangladesh (10 May 2025) — To accelerate the adoption of high-performing rice varieties,…
Read more -