Areas of focus
Areas of focus

Trees

Trees offer farmers a path to sustainable profits while also helping the environment.

What farmers need

Rural farm families need a reliable way to build long-term assets in addition to increasing seasonal harvests, which can fluctuate each year. This need for stability has only grown as supply chain challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic – alongside regional conflicts and climate shocks – have driven significant price inflation for fuel, food, and farm supplies.

Why trees?

Agroforestry–the practice of planting trees alongside crops–is one of the most powerful and environmentally impactful tools we have to reduce poverty. Planting trees is a sustainable, reliable pathway to a stable income for farmers, not only directly through increased income, but also through co-benefits like improved soil health. When planted alongside crops, most varieties of trees contribute significantly to soil health by controlling erosion, improving the soil’s ability to absorb water, and maintaining a high level of organic matter, as well as fixing nitrogen. Trees can also play an important role in improving biodiversity. 

Watch One Acre Fund's 1 Billion Tree Campaign on YouTube.

What we do

Smallholder farmers already have the skills, incentives, and farmland to plant trees – they lack only the supplies and specialized training to succeed. One Acre Fund offers a comprehensive tree package that supplements seasonal harvests, providing stability for farmers and at the same time empowering them to help protect the environment. 

Our process for introducing new tree species takes into account local ecosystems, farmer preference, pest and disease issues, and other environmental factors, allowing us to optimize for on-the-ground conditions.

While many mass-scale tree-planting initiatives in Africa focus on government reforestation efforts or commercial plantations, One Acre Fund’s model is community-led, relying upon – and directly benefiting – rural farmers. Our frontline staff are recruited from the communities we serve, and we are increasingly equipping local tree nursery entrepreneurs to professionalize and expand so that they are able to supply quality tree seedlings to us. 

A farmer in Tanzania stands with her tree sapling

Tree impact by country

One Acre Fund runs scaled tree programs across eight countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Here we share the latest updates on each program from 2022. Discover the impact

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Two farmers planting trees