A new smartphone application by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) is helping smallholder farmers across Eastern Africa strengthen their resilience to climate change while improving household incomes and nutritional security.
The application, Kuza Matunda—Swahili for “grow fruits”—provides farmers with practical guidance on integrating fruit trees into agricultural landscapes to increase farm resilience against climate-related shocks.
Developed through an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)-funded project, the app supports climate adaptation efforts in Kenya and Rwanda by promoting increased stocking and strategic placement of fruit trees on farms.
The digital tool draws on an extensive database of suitable native and exotic fruit tree species tailored to local growing conditions. It offers users detailed information on site selection, tree management, seedling establishment, irrigation, fertilisation, pest and disease control, and pruning techniques.
Available in Kikuyu, Kamba and Swahili, the application includes information on nearly 180 tree species, covering ideal growing conditions, nutritional value, pollination requirements, growth rates, propagation techniques, and management practices for pests and diseases.
Professor Catherine Muthuri, ACIAR Project Leader and Director and Regional Convener for East Africa at CIFOR-ICRAF, said the app was developed in response to growing demand from farmers and extension officers for accessible training and technical information.
“This digital innovation brings useful information closer to farmers and extension agents. Access to relevant information is critical to adopting appropriate management practices for sustained fruit-growing that contributes to increased productivity, household food and nutrition security, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods,” said Professor Muthuri.
The application forms part of ACIAR’s broader investment in agroforestry research, which has supported CIFOR-ICRAF for more than a decade in exploring how integrating trees into farming systems can improve food security while strengthening farmers’ capacity to adapt to climate change.
According to ACIAR, fruit trees provide multiple benefits beyond food production. They contribute to environmental restoration, improve household nutrition, diversify farm incomes and strengthen resilience to increasingly frequent climate-related stresses affecting rural communities.
ACIAR Research Program Manager for Forestry, Dr Nora Devoe, said the new application would help accelerate the adoption of fruit trees within local agrifood systems.
“ACIAR is keen to support the development of tools to help farmers increase tree stocking on farms and in the wider landscape. Fruit trees, with their obvious environmental, nutritional and income benefits, are attractive to farmers. We are pleased that this new app will support extension agents and farmers to get the right trees in the right places,” said Dr Devoe.
The project is also expected to guide future ACIAR investments in agroforestry by generating evidence on how tree-based farming systems can support landscape restoration and climate adaptation.
In addition, researchers are exploring opportunities for farmers to access international climate finance linked to the carbon sequestration provided by fruit trees.
The Kuza Matunda application is available for Android devices, providing farmers and agricultural extension officers with an easily accessible digital resource to support climate-smart fruit tree production across Eastern Africa.
