The rise and rise of women-led tree-planting enterprises

Today, that picture is changing. Across Kenya, restoration is no longer just about planting trees; it is creating jobs, generating incomes and opening up new business opportunities, particularly for women.

The economic imperative is significant. Kenya's National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy estimates that land degradation affects approximately 38.8 million hectares and results in socio-economic and ecological losses of about $1.3 billion (Sh168.29 billion) annually.

The strategy identifies restoration as a pathway not only for environmental recovery, but also for livelihood creation, employment generation and improved productivity across multiple sectors of the economy.

In rural communities, women who once planted trees as part of conservation efforts are now running nurseries, supplying seedlings, providing restoration services and building enterprises around tree-based products. What began as an environmental intervention is steadily growing into a vibrant economic sector.

This shift comes as agroforestry, the practice of integrating trees into farms, gains renewed attention globally.

Governments, businesses and climate investors increasingly recognise that trees can help tackle some of the world's biggest challenges, from food insecurity and soil degradation to biodiversity loss and climate change.

For Kenya, the opportunity is enormous. The country has committed to restoring 10.6 million hectares of degraded land and increasing tree cover from about 12 per cent to 30 per cent by 2032.

The government's 15-billion-tree initiative has created a growing demand for seedlings, restoration services and technical expertise.

A significant share of that effort is expected to happen on farms. Government targets call for approximately 3 million hectares of agroforestry systems to be established on farmlands by 2032, embedding restoration directly into agricultural production systems and creating opportunities for millions of households to participate in the restoration economy through seedling production, fruit growing, fodder systems and other tree-based enterprises.

For women-led nurseries and restoration enterprises, the target represents a growing commercial opportunity, creating sustained demand for seedlings, technical services and tree-based products across rural Kenya. 

Across counties such as Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Murang'a and Kakamega, women-led nurseries are supplying indigenous and fruit tree seedlings to county governments, development organisations, private companies and farmers. For many women, what started as a small community activity has become a source of steady income.

Some nursery operators now manage contracts worth hundreds of thousands of shillings each year, supplying seedlings for large-scale restoration projects and agroforestry programmes.

Others have expanded into seed collection, training services and landscape restoration work.

The scale of the market is expanding rapidly. According to the 15 Billion Trees Initiative Secretariat, Kenya will require approximately 1.5 billion seedlings annually to meet its restoration targets, including about one billion seedlings from public nurseries and another  500 million from private nurseries, community groups, county governments and development partners.

Using prevailing KFS nursery prices, the potential seedling market is estimated at between Sh15 billion and Sh45 billion annually.

The economic opportunities extend far beyond seedling production. Restoration creates demand for transportation, irrigation systems, technical advisory services, landscape monitoring and extension support. Every stage of the value chain creates work for local businesses and communities.

"Restoration is no longer simply about planting trees," says Job Mwangi, head of advocacy at Green Belt Movement.

"It is becoming a rural enterprise ecosystem involving suppliers, service providers, financial institutions, technology firms and agricultural producers."

For farmers, the benefits are tangible. Fruit trees provide additional income, fodder trees support livestock production, and timber species offer long-term investments that can be harvested sustainably.

Healthier soils and improved water retention also help farmers cope with increasingly frequent droughts.

As restoration expands, so does the number of people earning a living from it. Nursery operators generate income from seedling sales. Contractors are paid to plant and maintain trees.

Community groups receive compensation for ecosystem restoration activities. Farmers earn more from diversified production, while traders and processors profit from products such as fruits, honey, timber and medicinal plants.

Women are emerging as some of the biggest beneficiaries of this growing economy. Across the country, women-led nurseries, self-help groups, community associations and small enterprises are increasingly becoming critical suppliers within Kenya's restoration value chain.

From seed collection and propagation to seedling production and distribution, many of the activities underpinning the country's restoration agenda are creating income opportunities that are accessible to women in rural communities.

Their success reflects a model pioneered decades ago by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai. Through the Green Belt Movement, thousands of women were trained in tree growing, nursery management and other income-generating activities.

The movement showed that environmental restoration could also be a pathway to economic empowerment.

Today, many of those lessons are shaping a new generation of women-led restoration enterprises.

Yet Mwangi warns that the sector's full potential will only be realised if supportive policies and investments keep pace with growing demand.

Kenya's tree-growing programmes and climate adaptation strategies have helped create a market for restoration products and services. But access to affordable financing remains a major obstacle, especially for women-owned businesses seeking to expand operations, invest in irrigation systems or improve infrastructure.

"The restoration programme under the 15-billion-tree initiative should be viewed as part of a broader nature economy rather than simply a tree-planting exercise," says Susan Boit, National Coordinator for the 15 Billion Trees Initiative.

"It encompasses forestry, agroforestry, watershed protection, timber production, bamboo cultivation, fruit tree value chains and ecosystem services. Together, these sectors have the potential to create a multi-billion-shilling industry by 2032."

The demand for seedlings alone illustrates the scale of the opportunity, creating a growing market for nurseries, seed suppliers and restoration enterprises across the country.

Mwangi notes that the most successful policies move beyond tree-planting targets and focus on creating functioning markets.

Public procurement systems that prioritise locally sourced seedlings, incentives for agroforestry adoption, extension services and access to affordable financing can all strengthen restoration enterprises.

As demand for seedlings, restoration services and tree-based products continues to grow, the sector is increasingly attracting entrepreneurs seeking opportunities in rural economies.

Despite these hurdles, optimism remains high. As restoration markets expand, opportunities are expected to emerge in seed production, agro-processing, ecotourism and sustainable forestry.

The transformation underway reflects a broader shift in how restoration is understood. What began with Wangari Maathai's vision of empowering women through tree planting has evolved into a growing economic ecosystem.

Across Kenya, restoration is proving that it can do more than heal landscapes. It is creating livelihoods, building businesses and strengthening local economies.

As the country pursues its 15-billion-tree target, women entrepreneurs are increasingly becoming the suppliers, producers and enterprise builders helping turn restoration from a national environmental ambition into a functioning rural economy.