4.1 Livelihood benefits

4. Benefits of FMNR

Based on the desk study and success stories across the globe, there is no doubt that FMNR can bring enormous benefits to Myanmar’s people. FMNR has a demonstrated, extensive track record of significantly increasing farmer yields and income in a wide range of geographic and social contexts. Since it was first introduced in 1983 in Niger, FMNR resulted in the regrowth of woody vegetation across 5 million ha of land in 20 years – or 200 million trees – largely through word of mouth and farmer-to-farmer interactions. This has translated to an additional 500,000 tonnes of cereals produced each year, providing food security for an additional 2.5 million people. In economic terms, FMNR has led to an increase in gross income of US$900 million per year in Niger, spread among 900,000 households or 4.5 million people.5 This wide and rapid diffusion is a testament to the technique’s ability to deliver rapid results on land where it is implemented, providing tangible benefits to practitioners in short time-frames without the need for significant financial investment in tools and other resource inputs. A key factor in determining the success of FMNR is the ability to change attitudes among communities where it is practised in addition to teaching the agricultural techniques. Success depends on the location, enabling environment and the mindset of a host community. In Myanmar, study areas where FMNR is being practised have benefited in 5 World Refugee Council’s Global FMNR Factsheet