Okere Shea Farmers to Benefit from Carbon Insets through Impact Unit Sales to a U.S. Cosmetics Company

On 23 January 2026, more than 150 shea farmers from Otuke and Agago districts gathered in Okere for a landmark workshop aimed at deepening awareness and understanding of the Nilotica Shea Carbon Insets Project. The convening marked a major milestone for the initiative, which is being implemented by Okere City in partnership with Forested, with support from Bansk Beauty, a United .States of America (U.S.A) based cosmetics company whose parent company trades beauty products in the U.S. and Europe under the Amika brand.

The workshop brought together two groups of farmers: the inaugural cohort enrolled in March 2025 and a second cohort scheduled for onboarding in early 2026. For many participants, it was a pivotal moment - linking everyday farming and conservation practices to global climate action through the generation and sale of carbon insets and verified impact units.

From Local Farms to Global Climate Action

At the heart of the Nilotica Shea Carbon Insets Project is a simple but powerful idea: smallholder farmers are already climate stewards and with the right support, their regenerative practices can generate measurable climate impact while improving livelihoods.

Farmers from the first cohort shared compelling testimonies on how the project’s regenerative agriculture practices have begun transforming their farms; even before carbon inset payments are received.

Throughout 2025, the project delivered hands-on training in;

• Regenerative shea agroforestry

• Beekeeping and pollinator management

• Low-tillage and ox-ploughing techniques

• Organic fertilizer and compost production

• Biochar use for soil health

• Tree planting and conservation

  
  

These trainings were complemented by exposure visits to a regenerative agriculture demonstration farm (Baralegi Presidential Demonstration Farm), enabling peer learning and offering practical inspiration on how sustainable land management can restore ecosystems while increasing productivity.

Turning Regeneration into Verified Impact

By adopting these practices, farmers generate verifiable impact units - measurable improvements in soil carbon, tree survival, biodiversity and ecosystem health. These impact units are aggregated and sold through an insetting partnership with Bansk Beauty, enabling the company to reduce emissions within its own supply chain while directly investing in farmer-led climate solutions.

Denish Aporo, one of trainers and the Assistant Forestry Officer, Otuke District Local Government emphasized the importance of helping farmers understand the concept of carbon insets and how their actions on the farm translates into measurable climate outcomes.

"Everyday farming practices matter. When you protect trees and manage your land well, it translates into carbon insets and verified impact that connects your farms to global climate action,” Denish explained and encouraged the farmers to embrace Okere City's initiative.

One of the most powerful testimonies came from Jimmy Okello Leo, a rice farmer whose capacity was built in row rice planting together with other members and received 20 kg of rice seeds and 2 kg of maize seeds through the project. By switching from traditional broadcasting to row planting; guided by our project technical team, he recorded a more than 50% increase in rice yields.

“The training on rice farming, access to quality seeds and constant monitoring by the project team enabled me to get better yields,” Mr. Okello shared. “This project is helping us reimagine what is possible - for our farms and for conserving our environment,” He added.

His experience reflects a core philosophy of the project: climate-smart agriculture and improved livelihoods can advance together.

Protecting Shea Trees Through Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration

Addressing the farmers, Ojok Okello, Founder and CEO of Okere City, outlined the project’s design, activities and shared responsibilities among partners and farmers. Central to the initiative is Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) - a proven approach that focuses on protecting, regenerating and managing naturally occurring trees, especially shea and other native species.

To ensure the long-term sustainability of shea nut supply:

• Impact units are generated for all shea trees aged 10 years and below, incentivizing farmers to protect young trees rather than cut them.

• The project supports new tree planting, including shea, fruit and indigenous species.

  
  

During the training, Boniface Okori, the Otuke District Local Government Forestry Officer emphasized that regeneration goes beyond shea and that farmers should view all trees as valuable assets to the landscape.

Okere City is raising over 50,000 seedlings, including shea, baobab, mango, jackfruit, guava, malaina and other indigenous species in its large scale tree nursery. These tree species were carefully selected for their ecological suitability and resilience in the semi-arid landscapes of northern Uganda.

Biochar, Low-Tillage Farming, and Soil Restoration

A key innovation within the project is the integration of biochar into smallholder farming systems. Produced from agricultural residues such as maize stalks, millet straw, sunflower and simsim stalks, and shea nut shells, biochar is mixed with manure and applied to farmland. Its benefits include:

• Improved soil structure and water retention

• Increased nutrient availability

• Enhanced microbial activity

• Reduced reliance on synthetic fertilizers

• Long-term carbon storage in soils

  
  

Pilot biochar production has already begun; using traditional open-pit methods, with plans underway to install a pyrolysis machine in the coming months. This will significantly improve efficiency, safety and carbon retention - further strengthening impact unit generation.

The project also promotes low-tillage agriculture, which minimizes soil disturbance, protects soil carbon and improves moisture retention. To support this transition, Okere City plans to establish a local wood workshop to produce lighter, improved ox-ploughing yokes that are easier for oxen to use and for farmers to manage.

Beekeeping: Strengthening Biodiversity and Livelihoods

Beekeeping is another strategic pillar of the project. Shea trees depend heavily on pollinators - particularly bees for nut production. By increasing pollinator populations,

• Shea yields improve

• Biodiversity is enhanced

• Ecosystem resilience is strengthened

• Impact units increase, as biodiversity and productivity indicators are core components of carbon inset accounting

Farmers also gain an additional income stream from honey and other hive products. A modern apiary unit is already being established at Okere City, designed not only to produce high-quality honey but also to become the region’s leading apiculture centre.

Ensuring Transparency Through Digital Monitoring, Reporting and Verification

To guarantee credibility and transparency, the project uses a custom-built Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system developed by Forested. Through the Forested App:

• Every participating farmer is geo-mapped

• Individual trees are digitally tagged

• Tree planting and survival rates are tracked in real time

• Regenerative practices are recorded

• Impact units are verified against internationally recognized standards

  
  

The system has already been successfully piloted with 75 farmers, with onboarding of the second cohort scheduled to begin in February 2026. This digital backbone allows partners like Bansk Beauty to trace climate impact directly to farms and communities with confidence.

A Model for Inclusive, Nature-Based Climate Solutions

The Nilotica Shea Carbon Insets Project demonstrates how local knowledge, regenerative agriculture and responsible corporate partnerships can converge to address climate change while strengthening rural livelihoods.

For Okere’s farmers, the project is not only about carbon; it is also about restoring soils, protecting shea trees, increasing yields and securing a dignified future. For partners like Bansk Beauty, it offers a transparent, high-integrity pathway to climate action rooted within their own supply chain.

Together, these efforts position Okere as a living example of how African smallholder farmers can lead the global transition toward nature-based, inclusive climate solutions.