From desert to forest: How an Australian turns Africa green

Tony Rinaudo has worked with trees for over 40 years. In Africa, he is greening former desert areas without planting new trees. For this, the Australian was awarded an Alternative Nobel Prize. The eureka moment once came to him on the edge of the desert after a quick prayer.

The difference is clearly visible after just a few years: Tony Rinaudo's method works. Credit: World Vision

Tony Rinaudo's story fascinated filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff so much that he made a documentary about him in 2021. You can watch it on SBS on Demand under the title The Forest Maker.

Tony Rinaudo with one of the trees that seemed to have grown out of nowhere. Credit: World Vision / Silas Koch/Verena Woeppel