South Africa Plants 55,000 Acres of Carbon-Storing Spekboom

A small succulent plant is quietly reversing 200 years of environmental damage across South Africa's semidesert region.

Since 2004, the South African government and more than 60 private groups have been replanting spekboom, a tough plant that stores massive amounts of carbon while restoring degraded land. In just the past three years, restoration efforts have exploded from 5,000 acres to 136,000 acres across the Klein Karoo region.

"Spekboom is everywhere, it's all anyone talks about," says field ecologist Rae Attridge. "What used to be an Angora goat farming town is now a spekboom town."

The story behind this transformation is one of correction and hope. Nearly 200 years of overgrazing by livestock stripped away 80% of the region's natural thicket. Without plant cover, topsoil washed away during rains, turning lush ecosystems into barren wastelands.

Now private developers have raised $75 million to reverse that damage. One company, Nat Carbon, has planted 25,000 acres in just two years as part of a plan to restore 250,000 acres near Jansenville. Another project backed by Volkswagen has planted 7,400 acres at Sand River Sanctuary, with plans to turn the land into a permanent conservation area.

The plants themselves are remarkable survivors. Early experiments in 2009 tested 331 plots across 18.5 million acres to figure out what works best. Researchers found that thicker stems increased survival rates, though watering at planting time made little difference.

The efforts just received major international validation. The United Nations Environment Programme named thicket restoration a World Restoration Flagship under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

The Ripple Effect

The UN recognition is bringing fresh credibility to funding efforts, particularly in carbon markets that had stumbled after questions about some projects' claims. Spekboom's ability to store carbon in its leaves, roots, and surrounding soil makes it valuable for generating carbon credits.

"When investors know that thicket is one of the UN flagships, it basically means there's more credibility," said Salman Hussain, coordinator at UNEP. The biodiversity benefits are equally impressive, as restored thickets provide habitat for species that had disappeared from degraded areas.

Some projects are choosing conservation over carbon trading entirely. EcoPlanet Bamboo is working with partners to create permanent protected areas. "If carbon markets drop, there's nothing to stop sheep and goats coming back," said co-founder Camille Rebelo.

The momentum shows no signs of slowing, with restoration specialist Robbert Duker predicting continued rapid expansion: "The sky's the limit."