Restoring damaged farmland can do more than improve the environment. It can also create new sources of income, support local businesses and give rural communities better opportunities. In Mali, entrepreneur Rokiatu Traoré is bringing these goals together through an initiative centred on the moringa tree.

Her work has earned international recognition at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Action Awards, where she was named a Changemaker in 2026. Through her organisation, Herou Alliance, Traoré is developing a model that combines tree planting, farmer training and the production of goods made from moringa.

Recognition for a Community Project

Traoré received the award at a ceremony held in Rome on October 29, 2026. During the event, she explained the challenges facing farmers in Mali, where increasingly dry conditions and deteriorating soil have made agricultural work more difficult. Poor land conditions can reduce harvests and limit the income available to farming households. For communities that depend on agriculture, this creates difficulties that extend beyond the fields, affecting their ability to maintain stable livelihoods.

Traoré established Herou Alliance to respond to both environmental and economic concerns. Rather than treating land restoration and job creation as separate goals, the organisation connects them through an agroforestry approach. Its activities include producing seedlings, teaching farmers how to grow trees and establishing planting projects.

Why Moringa Plays a Central Role

Since 2021, Herou Alliance has focused on building businesses around moringa, scientifically known as Moringa oleifera. Although the tree originally comes from South Asia, it is now cultivated in several other parts of the world, including African countries.

Moringa grows relatively quickly and can tolerate dry conditions, making it a useful option for areas where water availability is limited. It is sometimes called the miracle tree because different parts of the plant have a wide range of uses. Its leaves are particularly valued for their nutritional content, including vitamins, minerals and protein. The flowers and seeds also provide materials for different products. Oil can be extracted from the seeds, while the remaining material can be used in water purification.

These characteristics give the tree value beyond its role in farming. For Herou Alliance, moringa provides a foundation for developing products that can be processed and sold through local, regional and international markets.

Turning Tree Products Into Business Opportunities

The organisation uses different parts of moringa to create a variety of goods. According to Traoré, its product range includes herbal tea, powdered products, honey, soap, spices and dietary supplements. This approach creates several stages of economic activity. Seedling production and tree cultivation provide opportunities for agricultural workers, while processing creates additional work beyond the farm.

Developing products for different markets also gives the organisation a way to build commercial value from its planting activities. Instead of focusing exclusively on growing trees, Herou Alliance connects cultivation with processing and sales. Traoré has previously been referred to as the "Moringa Queen", reflecting her association with promoting the tree and its many possible uses. She believes its potential extends into areas such as food production, cosmetics and other manufactured goods.

However, its environmental benefits also require careful consideration. Although moringa is known for tolerating dry conditions, research into its effectiveness in large-scale restoration programmes across the arid Sahel region remains limited. Its suitability for particular locations and restoration goals therefore needs continued attention.

A Major Goal for Land Restoration

Herou Alliance has set an ambitious target: restoring 10 million hectares of degraded land in Mali by 2040. The scale of the challenge is significant. According to figures from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, land degradation affected approximately 11.5 million hectares in Mali in 2019, with more than 6.5 million people impacted.

The organisation has already reported progress towards its objectives. Traoré said that Herou Alliance has planted 150,000 moringa and baobab trees and provided training to more than 2,000 smallholder farmers in rural communities. Training is an important part of the initiative because successful restoration depends on people being able to maintain planting activities and benefit from them over time.

Rokiatu Traoré's recognition highlights an approach to land restoration that places local communities alongside environmental goals. Through Herou Alliance, she is using moringa cultivation to connect tree planting, agricultural training and product development.

The organisation still faces the considerable task of reaching its 2040 restoration target, and the long-term effectiveness of moringa in dryland restoration requires further research. Nevertheless, its work demonstrates how a useful agricultural resource can support several objectives at once. For Traoré, improving damaged land is not simply about planting more trees. It is also about helping rural communities build stronger economic opportunities and take part in the future of their own landscapes.