Plant With Purpose
Discover real-world stories of communities overcoming poverty and deforestation! Plant With Purpose, a Christian non-profit, shares examples of environmental sustainability and stewardship from all around the world. These stories show us how faith, resilience, and sustainable practices transform people’s lives as well as their environment. As rural families overcome poverty and heal the planet, embrace empowerment, renewal, and hope.
About Our Work, Our Response
Rethinking Empowerment: What We Mean When We Say It, and Why It Matters
Empowerment is one of those words that frequently appears in conversations about global development. At Plant With Purpose, it’s a core value. It's central to how we approach our mission and how we describe the way we approach our work. But we also recognize that it can be a complex term. We believe that the […]
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About Our Work, Sustainability
Theology in Action: How Faith Shapes Sustainability
At its core, Christian environmentalism is about transformation—of hearts, habits, and habitats; theology in action. Faith-based environmental organizations, such as Plant With Purpose, operate on the belief that the ecological crisis facing our world is deeply tied to spiritual brokenness. Restoring the land goes hand in hand with restoring our relationship with God and with […]
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Haiti
Hope in Action: World Environment Day in Haiti
On June 5, the world paused to mark World Environment Day: a global moment to raise awareness and take action to protect our planet. For many, the day is an opportunity to reflect on urgent challenges like climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. For the rural communities we partner with across Haiti, it became a […]
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About Our Work, Environmental Restoration
What Christian Environmentalists Need to Know About Agroforestry
Agroforestry aka forest farming—the integration of trees into agricultural landscapes—has emerged as one of the most effective strategies for both environmental restoration and poverty alleviation. It isn’t just a new agricultural trend. It’s a transformative practice that empowers communities to break free from cycles of poverty while caring for the land they depend on. For […]
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Tanzania
Magdalena, Tanzania: "I want to inspire others to believe"
Magdalena stands in front of her shop, greeting customers with a warm smile. The shop, now a thriving retail and wholesale business, is a testament to years of hard work, perseverance, and the power of community support. But it wasn’t always like this. At 50 years old, Magdalena reflects on the life she once lived […]
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Haiti
Nadége, Haiti: "God is always present in my life.”
At seventy years old, Nadége has witnessed a lifetime of changes in her Haitian community. As a farmer, she has seen seasons of plenty and scarcity. She has watched trees disappear from the hillsides and rivers dry up. And for many years, she struggled to trust the people around her. “There are too many unserious […]
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blog, Environmental Restoration, Sustainability
The Role of Tree Planting in Regenerative Farming Practices
In the quest to restore both people and the planet, regenerative farming has emerged as a transformative approach to farming. Tree planting is not only a symbol of environmental renewal but also a foundational pillar of regenerative agriculture. Through tree-based techniques like agroforestry, farmers can heal degraded lands, boost food production, and create climate resilience. […]
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About Our Work
The Role of Agroforestry in Reducing Poverty and Boosting Livelihoods
When Andres first stepped onto his hillside farm in the Dominican Republic, he was facing more than just a struggling crop—he was facing the reality of a life trapped in poverty. His coffee plants, once the backbone of his livelihood, had been devastated by disease. With few alternatives and seven children to feed, his future […]
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Climate Change
Carbon Sequestration Through Regenerative Tree Planting
When Daniel, a pastor and father of six in rural Malawi, stands in the shade of recently planted trees, he sees more than saplings—he sees a future reclaimed. For him and his community in the Lwafwa watershed, the trees are symbols of hope and healing. They represent not only a reversal of environmental destruction but […]
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Thailand
Jati, Thailand: "When you care for the forest, it gives back."
“I used to think I had most of what I needed.” “My family and I had enough to eat,” Jati says. “Sometimes there were worries about how we’d pay for household expenses, especially when we had to borrow money for farming. But it was manageable.” “There was a water source in the mountain, a forest […]
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Living Sustainably, Why I Support
Poverty, Trees, and the Joy of Getting Your Hands Dirty
Kathy Kellogg-Johnson is a longtime supporter of Plant With Purpose and an expert in healthy soil. Her family-owned company, Kellogg Garden Organics, is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year! For an entire century, they have been providing organic soil and products for farmers all across the country. Kathy generously spoke to us about the relationship between people, trees, and healthy soil. Check out her interview below.
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About Our Work
Why Do We Plant Trees?
Farmers who partner with Plant With Purpose have planted 76.6 million trees to date, and are projected to plant another 11 million in fiscal year 2026! But tree planting hasn’t always been our goal. When our CEO Scott Sabin first joined Plant With Purpose as an intern in 1993, he wasn’t particularly interested in planting trees. In fact, tree planting seemed like a distraction from the “real” mission of reducing rural poverty. Today, people new to Plant With Purpose may also wonder: what is the connection between helping people thrive and planting trees? The answer lies in the unique geographies of the watersheds we work in, where trees and livelihoods are inextricably intertwined.
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Ethiopia
Ethiopian Church Forests: An Ancient Key to Biodiversity
In the past 20 years, Ethiopia has been devastated by deforestation. Extensive agriculture, cattle herding, and increased population pressure, reduced forest cover to just 4.2% by 2000. Since then, the species richness of Ethiopia’s forests has been declining, and the remaining forests are fragmented, impoverished, and have only a fraction of the diversity they once had.
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Why
Why Should Churches Care About Trees?
Several years ago, my home church nearly cut down a 60-foot sycamore tree to build a new parking lot. Removing the tree seemed like the obvious choice—more room for families, more space for ministry. But some hesitated. Wasn’t this tree part of our story? Could we build around it instead of removing it? In the end, the church chose to save it, making it a prominent feature of the new campus.
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Photo Essays
How Cacao Trees are Transforming Lives in the Dominican Republic
At the end of March, Plant With Purpose hosted a Vision Trip to the Dominican Republic (DR). I, along with several donors and Plant With Purpose U.S. staff, had the privilege of visiting our partners in the DR and seeing the incredible work they’re doing to transform their communities. Just a few hours into our […]
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