The project aims to support education and research at Arba Minch University (AMU) through practical teaching and joint supervision of master's theses. This is achieved by the cooperation of academic staff from two Czech universities (MENDELU and CZU) and by the involvement of local Ethiopian teachers and experts. 

The tropical forests of Central Africa represent an immense diversity of valuable plant species that local people have long exploited for their needs. Despite their economic importance, these species often remain marginal and neglected by mainstream development or agricultural policies. The actual paper published in Economic Botany investigates management practices, plant part preferences, morphological characteristics, and the economy of bitter kola in different regions of the country.

The excessive collection of non-timber forest products and overgrazing of forest pastures negatively affect forest regeneration and biodiversity and subsequently impacts sustainable livelihoods in southwestern Kyrgyzstan. Understanding the diversity and typology of local farming systems is crucial for setting efficient and suitable policies to enhance livelihood and conservation. The actual paper, published in the journal Agriculture, is the result of a long-term cooperation between University of Central Asia, Rhine-Waal University and CZU Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (research teams TRIBE and TRACE). The paper identifies three main farming systems with different livelihood strategies and challenges. The authors provide specific farm-type recommendations to increase the sustainable use of natural recourses in the target region.