Treedom

The issue 

The loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding, increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and a host of other problems for indigenous people.

But just planting trees without any thought can be just as destructive. 

Throwing 100 seeds in a field does not mean planting 100 trees. The right tree should be planted in the right place and for the right purpose. No matter where it is in the world, intensively planting a single species is not a sustainable or biodiversity-friendly choice – it’s complex work. 

As of 2019, approximately 31% of the earth’s land was forest – but the world is rapidly losing trees. Some countries are more densely forested than others – for example, Tanzania in East Africa, has more than 50% of its land area covered by trees – making it the 42nd most densely forested country on earth. 

In 2010, Tanzania had 24.7 million hectares of natural forest, extending over 26% of its land area. Since then, forest has been lost every year. In 2021 alone, Tanzania lost 165,000 hectares of natural forest - equivalent to 59.9 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

But there is work underway to sow the seeds of change. There are a specific set of skills and resources needed to create suitable places for small trees to germinate and grow. 

Planting trees is not enough, they must be supported in their growth. This means thinking in the medium- and long-term. For this you need to find the right tree, for the right place, and the right purpose. 

The projects run by Treedom support and respond exactly to these needs.

Treedom

Treedom is the first platform in the world that allows you to plant a tree from a distance and follow the story of the project online. Since its foundation in 2010 in Florence, Italy, more than 3 million trees have been planted in Africa, South America and Europe. 

All trees are planted directly by local farmers and bring environmental, social and financial benefits to their communities. Thanks to its business model, in 2014 Treedom became a Certified B Corporation, part a network of companies that stand out for high environmental and social performance.

Treedom directly finances agroforestry projects in many different countries. Its philosophy is to create sustainable ecosystems and allow thousands of farmers to support the initial costs of planting new trees, ensuring food autonomy and income opportunities over time.

The tree species planted are native or respect the biodiversity of the different areas. The agroforestry practice also integrates the planting of trees in an agricultural system, favouring the virtuous interaction between the different species and a sustainable use of resources and land. Finally, all trees absorb CO2 in the course of their growth, naturally generating a benefit for the entire planet.

Treedom finances projects in rural communities in many countries of the world. The first step is the training of the communities involved in the projects, obtaining extraordinary results in terms of their own empowerment. 

The trees and their fruits belong to the farmers, allowing them to diversify and supplement their income and in some cases to launch micro-entrepreneurship initiatives. Financing the planting of new trees with Treedom serves to support the trees' care in the first years of their life, when they are not yet productive in terms of fruit.

Find out more about Treedom on their website

The project

Croda Foundation has awarded a grant of £39,399 to Treedom to support ongoing reforestations projects in Tanzania.

Since 2018, together with local community organisations in Tanzania, Treedom has been promoting small-scale reforestation as a strategy for poverty reduction through a participatory approach. Treedom has planted nearly 250,000 trees in the country, involving 15,000 beneficiaries.

This latest investment from Croda Foundation will see local communities trained in reforestation techniques. They will see long-term benefits from Treedom's projects, which will be promoted on the online platform, potentially resulting in more funding. 

The funding will help Treedom provide an opportunity to start running agroforestry activities for 60 families (about 360 people) in areas that have some of the highest malnutrition rates in the country. Those trained will be able to access extra income by selling produce at local markets helping to improve their livelihoods.

The projects are in Arusha and Kiswany - rural areas where there are significant gaps in living standards compared to urban areas. Many people living in these rural areas suffer from malnutrition, especially Vitamin A deficiency. And rural households experience high levels of deprivation too – a significant issue given that 65 per cent of Tanzanians live in rural areas. 

These Croda Foundation supported projects will bring huge nutritional improvements not just to those families directly involved in the project but their surrounding communities.

In Tanzania, smallholder farmers are key players in agricultural production systems. However, they are faced with numerous challenges, including poverty, shrinking farm sizes, rising overhead costs, decreasing natural resources and climate change. The proposed tree planting will address these challenges.

Thanks to the project, the families will have access to fruit trees that will enable them overtime to supplement their diet, or to take their harvest to market. This is particularly relevant because the project targets sectors of the population that have difficulty in accessing credit and therefore can't invest to improve their livelihoods and nutrition.

Impact

360 people supported to run agroforestry activities on their land that will lead to food security
5,000 trees will be provided and planted, with training 
Create a livelihood for 60 families by selling surplus fruit and vegetables