Organizations Unite to Reverse Poverty and Deforestation Through Local Farmer-Led Effort
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 08, 2021 -- Plant With Purpose, a leading Christian environmental organization, announced today a partnership with One Tree Planted, a nonprofit focused on global reforestation, to plant 100,000 trees in Haiti. This project will equip farmers to start community-based tree nurseries with seedlings that will be planted on farms and common land in the coming year.
“We are grateful for One Tree Planted’s commitment to Haiti, given the ongoing challenges facing the country, against the backdrop of extreme deforestation and poverty,” said Plant With Purpose CEO Scott Sabin. “The generous donation will help us continue the mission of both organizations to plant trees and mobilize local farmers to make a significant impact on their communities and the environment.”
Plant With Purpose will be One Tree Planted’s tree planting partner in Haiti, specifically in the Cornillon region in the subwatershed of Seche. With a locally-led staff team, Plant With Purpose utilizes a holistic approach focusing on environmental restoration, economic empowerment and spiritual renewal to effectively reverse the vicious cycle of poverty and deforestation.
"One Tree Planted plays an important role in the global community of reforestation initiatives and is helping make it easy for anyone to plant a tree,” said Sabin. “Together we can empower even more grassroots efforts in Haiti and beyond to reverse deforestation by partnering with those most vulnerable to its effects".
Since 1997, Plant With Purpose has been working in Haiti, promoting long-term economic, environmental and spiritual support through locally-led and community-based development efforts that now include more than 13,000 smallholder farming families across the country. These initiatives are helping these communities to be resilient, even amidst turmoil and natural disasters. In the past 20 years, tree cover in Haiti has decreased by more than 8%, however in Plant With Purpose project areas, tree cover is actually increasing by 1.287% each year - a change representing 200,000 acres of land being protected and reforested.
One Tree Planted has been initiating efforts to create a healthier climate, protect biodiversity and spark reforestation around the planet since 2014 by planting trees. In 2020 alone, One Tree Planted, planted 10 million trees. The organization has partners across 43 countries who are planting trees as well as supporting reforestation after natural disasters, creating jobs, building communities and protecting habitat for wildlife.
“I started One Tree Planted years ago as a simple way for people to give back to the environment,” said One Tree Planted Chief Environmental Evangelist Matt Hill. “Through partnerships like the one we’ve established with Plant With Purpose, more trees will be planted and restoration of our environment will only continue. It is my hope that generations to come can enjoy the great outdoors and beauty of our planet. ”
About Plant With Purpose
Plant With Purpose is a leading Christian environmental organization. Founded in 1984, Plant With Purpose operates at the nexus of poverty alleviation, environmental restoration, and spiritual renewal. Through years of holistic, community-led innovation, Plant With Purpose provides local leadership in global communities to equip families to reverse the structural and environmental root causes of rural poverty. This model transforms entire watersheds by integrating reforestation, regenerative agriculture, savings group activities, and environmental restoration. Plant With Purpose has planted more than 40 million trees globally and will more than double that number by 2025. For more information, visit plantwithpurpose.org.
