Central Co-op grows Planting Promise to support reforestation in Malawi

Posted by lauryn mellor | Published: 21/10/2024

Central Co-op is combining its successful Planting Promise initiative into its Our Malawi Partnership to help support environmental and trading capacity in Malawi.

Since 2022, Central Co-op has committed to planting a tree for every funeral it conducts, planting nearly 20,000 trees annually and offsetting up to 6,000 tonnes of CO2. Now, the funeral provider will be focusing its Planting Promise in Malawi, an area where reforestation has the power to address key environmental, economic and social challenges.

Central Co-op’s Our Malawi Partnership supports farmers and producers by selling a range of Malawi-sourced products in its stores. Proceeds from these products directly contribute to strengthening the trading capacity of Malawi’s communities. By combining its Planting Promise with the Our Malawi Partnership, Central Co-op is driving meaningful change both in Malawi and globally.

This initiative will contribute to the reforestation of Malawi’s most affected regions, providing significant benefits including mitigating the risk of severe flooding, improving food security and empowering local communities through employment opportunities. With Malawi’s rural population heavily reliant on subsistence agriculture, the cultivation of diverse tree species offers new avenues for sustainable income and land use.

As one of the world’s least developed nations, Malawi faces rising climate threats, including extreme weather events such as floods. Tree planting in these vulnerable areas helps restore wildlife habitats, improve soil quality and secure the livelihoods of local farmers.

Central Co-op is proud to collaborate with the Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM), Malawi’s oldest conservation non-governmental organisation (NGO). WESM will work closely with local communities, providing training and identifying suitable sites for tree planting. Together, Central Co-op and WESM will ensure the long-term success of the trees through proper care, local stewardship and community engagement.

The trees will be planted during Malawi’s rainy season (November to May), ensuring the best chance for survival. Central Co-op and WESM will focus on species that not only restore forests but also offer economic value to communities, such as fruit-bearing trees like mango and tamarind, or hardwoods like Khaya anthotheca, which provide long-term timber opportunities.

This careful selection will ensure that communities benefit directly from the project while protecting Malawi’s unique biodiversity. Restoration of tree cover is vital for protecting the country’s extraordinary range of wildlife, including its 500 species of fish and nearly 650 species of birds.

With global temperatures rising and weather extremes intensifying, tree planting remains one of the most cost-effective solutions for sequestering carbon. Malawi, with its sub-tropical climate, offers ideal conditions for fast-growing trees. The initiative helps advance low-carbon economies in Africa, which is critical as the continent’s population expands.

For more information on the Malawi Planting Promise, visit www.centralcoop.co.uk/plantingpromise, and learn about Our Malawi Partnership at malawi.centralengland.coop/. To become a Member, head to Members.coop.

ENDS

For press information
Press Office
pressoffice@centralcoop.co.uk

Lauryn Mellor, PR and Media Specialist at Central Co-op
lauryn.mellor@centralcoop.co.uk
07385 048004