Across northern Kenya, dense thickets of prosopis have choked traditional grazing routes, dried up water points and pushed pastoralist families onto ever smaller patches of usable land. Left unmanaged, the plant forms near-impenetrable stands that crowd out native grasses and trees, making it harder for herds to move and for land to recover after drought.

The Land & Livelihoods program backs local enterprises that turn this invasive burden into a new source of income. Working with pastoralist communities and county government, these businesses harvest prosopis in a controlled way and process it into biochar, green charcoal, wood vinegar and mesquite wood pellets. These products provide cleaner, more efficient fuel and soil-improving inputs, while creating a market incentive to keep the plant in check.

Rather than clearing prosopis entirely, the program supports the creation of managed forests where the plant is thinned, pruned and replanted for ongoing harvest. This approach protects remaining vegetation, reduces erosion and maintains a steady supply of raw material.

To guide where and how harvesting happens, density mapping and erosion planning are carried out using satellite imagery and drone surveys. These tools help identify the worst-affected areas, plan access routes and prioritize sites where clearing will most benefit grazing and farmland.

All work is done in partnership with local leaders, grazing committees and county officials, so that harvesting plans align with community priorities and long-term land management goals.