British Council Joins Ambitious Tree Planting Initiative to Protect Heritage and Save the Environment

Kampala British Council embarks on an aggressive tree planting initiative in partnership with Back to the Roots (B2TR), to repopulate the “Mutuba tree” with the aim of combating climate change and protecting heritage: a comprehensive tree planting campaign. Representing the British High Commission in a live demonstration of planting the Mutuba tree, is British High Commissioner to Uganda, Kate Airey, alongside Jose Hendo, a Ugandan-born British eco sustainable fashion designer, and founder of Back To The Roots, a charity focusing on cultural preservation and environmental sustainability. The tree planting initiative is lined with British Council’s Creative Economy programme that seeks at highlighting the key role of creativity,collaboration and innovation in driving dynamic, inclusive and sustainable development.

Background- In 2016, Back To The Roots started a 1 million Mutuba tree planting campaign at the
British Museum. Through the one-million mutuba tree-planting campaign, B2TR is addressing the
climate change crisis. The mutuba tree is crucial to the balancing of the eco system where it grows,
thus saving a heritage and conserving the environment in one effort. “It is a perfect ambassador for
sustainability because its harvesting does not destroy the tree which can still be harvested for
many years,” says Jose Hendo.

The Mutuba Tree is well known a sole source the famous culturally reclaimed back cloth, a fabric
commonly used in African traditional attire, from traditional marriages, King coronations, to royal
funerals. Today, the bark cloth is increasingly being embraced and used in modern day fashion by
revolutionary artists like Jose Hendo. “By using barkcloth we are creating sustainable jobs in Uganda.

It is important that more Mutuba trees are planted to keep this tradition going,” says Jose Hendo.
“We planted trees at the Serena hotel during our B2TR event in 2019 with the Queen of Toro. These
trees are here in Kampala and will be harvested this year for the first time drawing in attention from
the media and community but most importantly helping promote heritage and culture not forgetting
the climate action,” adds Jose Hendo.

The origin of barkcloth making is estimated to span back over 700 years; invented during the reign of
Kabaka Kimera, of Buganda Kingdom. At its invention, barkcloth was gazetted for royals only. It later
on became a trade item between the neighbouring Kingdoms; exchanged for salt, cows, hoes, etc.
During this period the environment was greatly nurtured by the massive planting of mutuba trees in
Buganda which led to economic prosperity.

Barkcloth Trade Deteriorated-The demonization of barkcloth by Christianity and Islam and the
introduction of other fabrics by Arab traders and colonialists caused the barkcloth trade to
deteriorate, and so production was reduced. This greatly affected the conservation of the precious
flora as attention to it dwindled over the centuries affecting the numbers to a point that today, the
Mutuba tree faces a serious threat of extinction, given rampant deforestation coupled with climate
change.

Barkcloth Receives Recognition-In 2005, UNESCO named Ugandan barkcloth a “masterpiece of oral
and intangible cultural heritage of humanity:” hence, sparking new conversation about its place in
both contemporary Ugandan culture and the global research, design and manufacturing market. By
buying and using barkcloth one is nurturing the global environment. The mutuba tree is renewable
and lasts for over 100 years. In 2008, back cloth was eventually inscribed on the Representative List.

The Importance Of The Mutuba Tree To The Ecosystem And The Community – The leaves provide
fodder to livestock and the figs dropped by the trees are eaten by the wildlife. The trees act as wind
breakers, fire wood, and provide soil enrichment through mulching. Mutuba trees store carbon,
hence, reducing the carbon load in the atmosphere. By applying clever cutting and pattern
manipulation, striking fashion is created. Barkcloth is perfect for creating wearable art which is
timelessness.

Today Bark cloth is seeing an increase in interest and Ugandans are seeing it as a way to celebrate
their culture. New uses for the material continue to be found, and people from around the world are
just learning about this eco-friendly and beautiful material. According to an industry expert, it is
estimated that the industry could grow to a size that would support at least 500,000 bark cloth
farmers, with their income benefiting an estimated 4,000,000 people.

Scaling Up Efforts – While tree planting initiatives have shown great promise, scaling up these efforts
remains a critical challenge. It requires collaboration between governments, non-governmental
organizations, businesses, and civil society to mobilize resources, implement effective policies, and
leverage technology for monitoring and evaluation. Public awareness campaigns and education
initiatives are also essential to garner support for tree planting and inspire collective action at the
grassroots level.

“In the face of escalating environmental threats, tree planting initiatives offer a ray of hope,
demonstrating the transformative power of nature-based solutions. By harnessing the regenerative
capacity of forests, we can mitigate climate change, conserve biodiversity, and build resilient communities. As we embark on this journey towards a greener future, let us remember that every tree planted is not only a symbol of hope but also a testament to our collective determination to
safeguard the planet for future generations,” – Chilufya Besa, British Council Uganda, Country
Director.

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