Many farmers in Mkata village get low to no harvests from their farms due to crop raiding by elephants. This has left them in serious poverty and food insecurity that drive them to turn into forest as their last hope.

There is an increasing rate of charcoal production, where many farmers have turned into charcoal producers. There are also tens of hectors of trees that are lost for unsustainable agriculture. If we allow this to continue wildlife routes will be lost and people’s life will be insecure. ECOWICE help the community to adapt and mitigate the situation through environmental  friendly income generating activities, conservation agriculture and restoration of degraded areas.

They have been supported to grow sesame which is less attacked by elephants and more productive, they have also enhance conservation agriculture practices that will help conserve farmland ecosystem.It is expected that after harvesting sesame and sell at good price, farmers conflicts with elephants will be reduced while their income will increase.