The Forest Underground

How do you regreen millions of hectares of land without planting a single tree? World-renowned "Forest Maker" Tony Rinaudo knows the answer lies at the grass roots—or at the tree roots—as much as with farmers and communities. Tony shares his insights and inspiring life story in his autobiography The Forest Underground: Hope for a Planet in Crisis. Australian missionary agronomists Tony and Liz Rinaudo arrived at the edge of the Sahara in 1981 to plant trees. Few trees survived in the hostile terrain, and those that did were cut down by farmers. While contemplating the futility of their endeavours, Tony discovered an embarrassingly simple and affordable method of regreening land by reviving damaged trees rather than planting new ones. This is not some green fantasy. Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) has, from small beginnings, already regreened more than 18 million hectares in 27 countries, doubling crop yields, reducing our carbon footprint and transforming millions of lives. The Forest Underground offers tangible hope for climate change, as well as a deeply moving account of one man’s faith-journey. In a seemingly hopeless crisis, this is the good-news story that will move hearts and hands to care for the planet. Tony is a Right Livelihood Award Laureate and Principal Climate Action Advisor with World Vision.