Regarding production volume and economic benefits, walnuts are among the most significant nuts in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan has about 44,000 ha of walnut forests including the largest contiguous area of walnut forests, which is also considered a biodiversity hotspot of international significance. In China, already more than 400,000 ha of walnut agroforestry systems have been established. In the context of the EU project Forest and Biodiversity Governance Including Environmental Monitoring (FLERMONECA), a fact finding mission was conducted to prepare a research project on co-innovations related to landscape restoration in Central Asia through agroforestry. The project’s purpose was to map the walnut resources, assess options for ecosystem-based adaptation, and develop management innovations and appropriate business models in Kyrgyzstan and China.

• Assessing walnut management practices and exchanges with key actors in the value chain.
• Exploring research demand for co-innovations related to nursery technology and walnut production.
• Sharing experiences from walnut management and value adding in Yunnan, Southern China.
• Identifying partners and preparing funding proposal for the German ministry for economic cooperation.