KOMAZA has chosen to launch our tree farming project in Kilifi district on Kenya's coast. The social, environmental and climatic characteristics of Kilifi make it an ideal location for our tree farming model. As KOMAZA expands, Kwale district to the south and Malindi district to the north offer many of the same favorable traits. Kilifi is also situated along the coastal Mombasa-Malindi highway, providing easy access to the major timber markets of these two cities.
Most families living in Kilifi district suffer from severe and chronic poverty. Over 80% of families are small-scale farmers who grow maize, cassava and beans. These farmers live in the parts of Kilifi district classified as semi-arid lowlands, which are characterized by low to moderate soil quality and highly erratic rainfa