– the forest maker and FMNR
Tony Rinaudo’s FMNR Method is Like Nature’s Magic – A Story of Forgotten Roots Awakening After Centuries
Imagine this: beneath the dusty soil of Africa, ancient root systems lie dormant, some as old as Roman times. They are just waiting to sprout again – but every time a delicate shoot breaks through the surface, it’s eaten by goats or cut down by human hands. Until Tony came.
The “Avatar Roots” and Their Rebirth
In countries like Niger or Ethiopia, underground forests lie beneath the surface – roots that have survived for centuries. They come from trees that were felled long ago, but whose remnants never truly died. Like the sacred trees in Avatar, they continued to live in secret. Every shoot that manages to reach the surface is a true survivor – but without protection, it quickly falls victim to grazing animals or firewood collectors.
How FMNR Works: A Pact with Nature
Shoots Become Protectees:
Farmers learn to treat young shoots as something precious. They mark them with stones or wooden stakes and build simple thorn fences to keep goats and cattle away. In Ethiopia, village groups even set up night watches to guard the areas.
Selecting the Strongest:
Only 1–3 strong shoots per stump are left; the others are removed with machetes so the remaining ones can grow faster. Within two years, they shoot up to 4–6 meters tall – protected like precious children.
The Power of Community:
Tony trains village elders who set rules: “Anyone who cuts a shoot pays a goat!” In Mali, this led to communal forest areas that everyone protects together.
Tony’s Training: From Frustration to Hope
Tony Rinaudo is not a typical teacher. He kneels in the dust, showing with his hands and tools how to care for shoots – and tells stories:
Demonstration Fields: On devastated land, he lets FMNR shoots grow. Farmers are amazed as “dead” land becomes green oases within months. In Ghana, harvests doubled – and the farmers became ambassadors.
Peer-to-Peer Magic: He trains “FMNR Champions” – farmers like Yacouba from Niger, who proudly says: “They used to laugh at my ‘weed fields’. Now they beg for my seeds!”
Simple Tools: Instead of expensive machines, Tony shows how to use machetes and shears. “Anyone can do this – even children!” he says with a smile.
The Wonders of Ancient Roots
The regenerated trees are living witnesses of the past:
In the Sahel, acacias grow from roots that have survived since colonial times.
In Ethiopia, olive trees sprout whose seeds were once spread by Romans or ancient traders.
Tony compares them to phoenixes: “They rise again, if only we give them a chance.”
Emotional Successes: From Tears to Laughter
In a Kenyan village, a farmer wept when her first FMNR field produced maize after years of drought. Today she sells mangoes from trees that grew from 200-year-old roots. Her children no longer have to walk 10 km for water – the trees keep the soil moist.
Tony’s Message: “FMNR is not just a technique – it’s a love letter to the Earth. Every shoot is a promise: Nature never forgets how to be alive.”
With FMNR, hopeless lands become green cathedrals again – and farmers become guardians of an ancient pact between humans and nature 🌱. And there are many more of these systems – and you can help too: support us and help restore habitats and create new livelihoods for these people.
Find out more in the “Guardian of the Earth” program.
Author: Francesco del Orbe
