Why is planting trees so important?
Trees are an effective, sustainable and cost-effective solution to many of the world's most pressing challenges. In Trees for the Future, farmers learn to incorporate trees into their farmland in what we call Forest Gardens. Forest gardens are made up of thousands of trees and successfully restore degraded land, capture carbon, improve biodiversity and provide food, income and resources.
Where are the trees planted?
Each project is made up of around 250 - 600 farmer families and farmers work in smaller groups of around 20. The Local Trees for the Future team works closely with farmer groups over a four-year period, training them. those in the Forest Garden Approach and various agroforestry techniques. Each farmer's Forest Garden is about an acre in size and typically includes more than 2,500 trees and dozens of different species of food crops and marketable products. You can find a complete list of trees, fruits and vegetables at Forest Gardens .
How is climate change affecting Senegal?
Climate change is leading to more extreme and less predictable weather patterns. Periods of drought, higher-than-average temperatures and irregular rainfall are the result of climate change. For a semi-arid country like Senegal, the effects of climate change are acutely felt by rural farmers who depend on predictable rainfall and weather patterns. Without it, they could lose entire crops and their ability to support themselves and their families.
How do you know how many trees are planted by the Trees for the Future team?
Our reporting system is extensive. Trees for the Future technicians log farmers and all trees planted through our Taroworks app that links to SalesForce. We have nursery periods and planting periods. We count the trees when they are first planted and then do an annual assessment to track survival rates. Our program is also unique in that we are not mass planting trees. Each farmer is invested in his land and the trees he is planting.
Can you give the example of one of the farmers who works with Trees for the Future and how your projects specifically changed his and his family's lives?
Farmers apply for the Forest Garden program. They own their land and Trees for the Future is providing resources and training over a four-year period. You can read one farmer's story about and another about .
What is different about Trees for the Future's reforestation projects compared to other charities that plant trees?
Trees for the Future is taking a truly sustainable approach to tree planting, addressing the root cause of land degradation: land use. By working with farmers to improve agricultural practices through agroforestry systems and implement climate-smart solutions, we are ensuring that trees survive to maturity and benefit the planet and the communities where they are planted.
Your mission is to end hunger and poverty by training farmers to regenerate their land in an ecologically sound way. Can you tell us something about the past agricultural processes of these farmers in these areas and how the method introduced by Trees for the Future differs?
Contemporary agricultural techniques are centered on monoculture agriculture, planting and harvesting just one crop. This approach to agriculture is unsustainable because it extracts all the nutrients from the soil without replenishing them. It often requires more water and expensive chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This approach to agriculture degraded land around the world and destroyed a third of our soil. The Forest Garden approach emphasizes the diversity of crops and sustainable techniques that benefit both the land and the farmer. Forest Garden farmers can revitalize their land while producing more food and a variety of marketable products to support their family.