Reforestation for
Community
Trees do so much for us — including providing clean air and water, supporting local economies, protecting biodiversity, and growing nutritious food and medicine. They also play a critical role in the fight against climate change by absorbing carbon, shielding against harsh weather conditions, and increasing climate change resilience. Reforestation can also foster powerful social impacts in the communities where trees are planted.
3.6 billion people currently live in areas that are highly vulnerable to climate change — and they need trees now more than ever. Unfortunately, although deforestation has slowly decreased since the 1980s, an estimated 10 million hectares of forest are still cut down every year. Forest loss is consequential for all of us, but is most immediately felt by marginalized communities that directly depend on them for their livelihoods.
Community Stats
1.6B
People
Over 1.6 billion people depend on forests for timber, food, fuel, jobs, and shelter.
$16.2T
Value
The ecosystem services provided by the world’s forests are valued at an estimated $16.2 trillion (USD) annually.
90%
of people
Approximately 90% of people living in extreme poverty are forest-dependent.
25%
of Medicine
Around 25% of all medicinal drugs in the developed world come from plants. In developing countries, it’s as high as 80%.
Project Highlights
Reforestation is a powerful way to foster community growth, education, and economic empowerment by supporting marginalized communities, facilitating sustainable income streams, improving access to nutritious food, and creating jobs. Learn about three recent reforestation projects that planted trees for communities around the world!
Female farmer empowerment and education in rwanda
Our reforestation partner KULA works to eradicate poverty through the development of entrepreneurs in Rwanda’s coffee-producing communities. Over the past 3 years, we have planted over 250,000 trees and empowered over 300 farmers — the majority of whom are women. Upon maturation, the coffee seedlings that are planted, grown, and maintained by the participating farmers, can provide sustainable income for farming families for up to 30 years.
Preserving tradition and culture in the andes
One Tree Planted has partnered with Global Forest Generation to support Accion Andina, the first multi-country, large-scale, grassroots initiative to restore the high-altitude native forests of South America's high Andes. Working with local and indigenous communities, the seeds are collected from nearby Polylepis forests and grown by local and indigenous people in community nurseries. The overall objective is to restore 1 million hectares of high Andean forests across 6 countries over the next 25 years. The trees planted are helping restore wetlands, safeguard existing forests, and protect critical Amazon headwaters.
Increased income for marginalized communities in india
One Tree Planted has partnered with Sustainable Green Initiative (SGI), a local organization with one simple but powerful objective: to plant (mostly) fruit trees to fight hunger, poverty and climate change. Under this model, fruit tree saplings are distributed to the homesteads of marginal farmers, campuses, orphanages, old age homes, and other places of need. With the help of local Vrilksharakshaks, or “tree ambassadors”, farmers are given fruit trees and encouraged to practice organic and sustainable farming practices. In this way, planting trees helps foster environmental consciousness and sustainability in rural communities.