trees.org
Trees for the Future has worked globally since 1989 and we are currently in 9 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. These countries are where we are seeing the most impact with our approach. The benefits of planting trees with farmers in developing countries instead of mass tree plantings are incredible. Trees have a much higher rate of survival and benefit the family when being cared for by a farm.
The Problem
We lose trees at a rate of 50 soccer fields per minute as our food systems destroy our ecosystems. Most of this degradation occurs in the developing tropics of Africa, Latin America, and South and Southeast Asia where hundreds of millions of chronically-hungry, smallholder farming families unknowingly use destructive and short-sighted agricultural practices that further degrade their communities trees, soil, water and biodiversity, making them even more likely to migrate and more vulnerable to the climate changes that lie ahead. It becomes a cycle.
Our Solution
The Forest Garden Program is a simple, replicable, and scalable approach with proven success. How? It starts with trees. Through our 4-year training program, called the Forest Garden Approach, farmers plant thousands of trees that protect and bring nutrients back to the soil. This helps farmers grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. Forest Garden farmers gain increases in income and access to food, even in the first year, all while improving the environment.
How It All Started
In the early 1970’s, Dave and Grace Deppner served as volunteers in the Philippines, where they witnessed the human tragedy brought on by illegal logging and unsustainable land management systems. Working with community leaders in nearby villages, the Deppners found a way to offer hope. They revitalized lands by providing farmers with tree seeds, technical training, and on-site planning assistance.
After returning to the U.S. from their overseas assignments they continued what they had started, communicating by mail with the project leaders and providing seeds, information, and training materials. On August 14, 1989, Trees for the Future was officially incorporated as a public charity.
Trees for the Future has worked globally since 1989 and we are currently in 9 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. These countries are where we are seeing the most impact with our approach. The benefits of planting trees with farmers in developing countries instead of mass tree plantings are incredible. Trees have a much higher rate of survival and benefit the family when being cared for by a farm.