The Partnership
Impact Capital Partners has joined Trees For The Future (TREES) in their Plant-a-Tree Partnership by planting 200 trees per million dollars raised. This amazing non-profit organization has planted over 180 million trees since 1989 and we are proud to help TREES plant communities out of hunger and poverty, while also offsetting multiples of our own carbon emissions. We are proud to help TREES with their mission to improve the livelihoods of impoverished farmers by revitalizing degraded lands.
* Capital raised includes ‘impact’ fund raising for previous fund manager since February 2017.
The Sequestration Calculations
| # of Trees Planted | 24,000 |
| # of Trees / Acre | 2,500 |
| # of Acres Planted | 9.6 |
| Tons of CO2 Sequestered / Acre (over 20 years) | 144.64 |
| Total Tons of CO2 Sequestered (over 20 yrs) | 1,389 |
| Average Tons of CO2 Emissions per Capita per Year (US) | 16.56 |
| Years of CO2 Sequestered (1 US Person) | 84 |
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 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.
The Solution
Trees For The Future’s Forest Garden Program is a simple, replicable and scalable approach with proven success. They train farmers over a four year period to sustainably revitalize their land (they “teach them to fish”), and provide all of the training, seeds, tools, and materials. The farmers come prepared with their own land and ready to change their family’s life. Through our 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 food security, even in the first year.
The Work They Are Doing
Today, Trees for the Future is implementing the scalable and replicable Forest Garden Approach in a focused region to affect measurable change. Trees for the Future is working closely with farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa to establish Forest Gardens – planting 50+ species of trees, dozens of shrubs, fruit trees, and 12+ vegetables on a typical farm.
The Impact They Are Having
Ending Hunger
Trees For The Future’s latest data indicates that the Forest Garden Approach ends hunger for most families after the first year. Only 13% of their project participants were food secure when they joined the program, and after just 12 months of planting Forest Gardens, 86% of their farmers aren’t worried about going to bed hungry.
Ending Poverty
Through the Forest Garden Approach, they are impacting the lives of their farmers and children, resulting in positive impacts for over 28,000 people so far. A total of 82% of their farmers have seen significant income increases and more than 92% are now feeling capable to brace for any unforeseen circumstances the future may bring.
Ending Deforestation
By decreasing the use of destructive farming practices such as burning, clearing and plowing, Forest Gardens reduce deforestation by eliminating farmers’ dependence on forests for food, timber, and many other non-timber forest products. The positive environmental impacts of a Forest Garden are endless.Carbon Sequestration
Additional Resources
- Trees For The Future website – HERE
- Impact Capital Partners’ Sponsor Page on Trees.org – HERE
- Trees For The Future 2019 Impact Report – 30th Anniversary Special Edition – HERE
- Trees For The Future 2020 Carbon Brief – HERE
- ONE SHOT: Trees as Our Last Chance for Survival – Book by John Leary – HERE
- Documentary – The Forest Garden Solution (19 minutes)
