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SPEKBOME | BACON TREES

The Spekboom (Portulacaria Afra) is commonly referred to as the Porkbush, or Elephant's food. The literal translation, from Afrikaans, means the Bacon Tree.

This tree-like shrub with its succulent leaves and branches is a key species in thicket vegetation and produces most of the carbon-rich mulch beneath the dense canopy. It is able to switch between its two modes of photosynthesis which capture carbon from the air; one system conserves water during dry periods and the other supports good growth when moisture is available.

This makes it remarkably productive for a shrub growing under arid conditions. Some growth is via shoots that spread and take root, forming a dense skirt of branches which maintains a cool and dry microclimate resulting in a build up of carbon-rich mulch. Spekboom is highly palatable to animals, and resilient to the pattern of browsing by indigenous animals such as elephant. However, it is vulnerable to browsing by goats, especially if poorly managed.

Each hectare of spekboom on the farm sequestered 4,2 tons of carbon a year. The unassuming plant, Portulacaria afra, is now being restored in thousands of hectares of land, which is worth between €10billion... and €20-billion a year in Europe. Findings suggest that up to four tons of carbon a year would be captured by each hectare

The clean development mechanism (CDM) is a way for industrialised countries to fulfil their obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. It is an arrangement that allows industrialised countries to invest in ‘carbon projects’ that reduce emissions in developing countries as an alternative to more expensive emission reductions in their own countries. [wiki] In other words industrialised countries can meet their emission reduction obligations by encouraging sustainable and environment friendly technologies in developing countries. In this way it is hoped to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions at a lower cost.