Agroforestry for Rural Livelihood Improvements in Kenya — €1.20 per Tree

In semi-arid regions of Kenya, restoring trees is not only about the climate—it is about livelihoods. This agroforestry project supports smallholder farmers by planting beneficial indigenous, native, and fruit tree species directly on their land. So far, 5,764 trees have been donated, at just €1.20 per tree, across a project area of 1,078 hectares. With a planting density of approximately 300 trees per hectare, the initiative carefully integrates trees into agricultural systems where they provide firewood, livestock fodder, fruit for income generation, nitrogen fixation, soil fertility improvement, and increased biodiversity.

The region has suffered significant degradation over the past decade. Tea factories once consumed enormous quantities of firewood sourced from surrounding communities, accelerating deforestation. Charcoal production, timber harvesting, population growth, prolonged drought, and land clearing for agriculture further intensified soil erosion and ecosystem collapse. Low tree cover and extreme heat now threaten both productivity and resilience. Since restoration began on November 15, 2020, the project has worked to reverse this trend—despite limited funding and the challenges of unpredictable weather.

Agroforestry here goes beyond distributing seedlings. Farmers receive hands-on training in tree care, environmental stewardship, and climate awareness. Follow-up field visits monitor survival rates and assess tree health, providing technical advice where needed. Restoration takes place during the rainy seasons—March, April, October, and November—to maximize survival in this semi-arid climate. Inspected during a multi-day field review in February 2023, the project meets high quality standards and demonstrates that long-term change depends on community ownership. By combining environmental regeneration with income opportunities, agroforestry in Kenya strengthens both landscapes and lives—one tree at a time. Start planting: Plant-for-the-Planet

Restoring Madagascar’s Rainforests — One Tree at a Time (€3.12 per Tree)

On the eastern side of Madagascar, one of the most biodiverse rainforest ecosystems on Earth is slowly being brought back to life. Green Again Madagascar is restoring tropical rainforests that are home to lemurs and thousands of plant species found nowhere else in the world. The urgency is stark: nearly 90% of Madagascar’s original rainforests have been lost to unsustainable agricultural practices. This destruction doesn’t only threaten wildlife—it directly affects Malagasy subsistence farmers who rely on nearby forests for food, materials, and ecological stability.

Green Again Madagascar works with these farmers as partners, not bystanders. Local communities are employed and trained to manage tree nurseries, prepare seedlings, and design planting layouts informed by ongoing survival research. The nurseries cultivate 78 native tree species, all carefully selected because they are adapted to eastern Madagascar’s unique conditions and therefore far more likely to survive long-term. On planting days, crews clear degraded land and meticulously record the GPS location, height, and width of every single tree. This monitoring doesn’t stop after planting: each tree is measured and tracked for three years, generating rare, high-quality data on real-world reforestation outcomes.

Scientific rigor is central to the project. Donations made through Plant-for-the-Planet support large-scale planting efforts that double as research programs to improve future success rates. One key study focuses on post-planting care—specifically, whether removing weeds from the base of young trees significantly improves survival and growth. Half of the planted trees receive regular manual weeding; the other half are left untouched. This controlled, labor-intensive experiment is already shaping Green Again’s extended care model, which prioritizes long-term resilience over short-term numbers.

From seedling to the end of extended care, the full planting process lasts three to five years per tree. The result: healthier forests, higher survival rates, and trees that are far more likely to reach maturity. Remarkably, this five-year care-and-research cycle costs just €3.12 per tree, with €1.75 going directly to field crews in Madagascar. It is a model that combines ecological restoration, scientific accountability, and fair local employment—proving that thoughtful reforestation can be both effective and ethical.

More information: Plant-for-the-Planet

Reforesting the Yucatán: Plant a Tree for €1.50

Restoring forests does not have to be abstract, expensive, or distant. On the Yucatán Peninsula in southern Mexico, tree planting starts at just €1.50 per tree—and the impact is tangible. The region faces one of the highest deforestation rates in the country. Vast areas of medium semi-evergreen forest and seasonally flooded lowland forest have been cleared over recent decades, largely due to cattle ranching and forestry exploitation. What remains is a fragmented landscape, vulnerable to biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and climate stress.

In 2015, a long-term effort began to reverse this damage by restoring forest ecosystems on abandoned agricultural land. Today, a dedicated local team at Plant-for-the-Planet A.C. is scaling this work with remarkable efficiency—planting up to 28,000 trees in a single day. The project focuses on ecological precision rather than monoculture: up to 51 native tree species are planted, carefully selected and matched to specific sites based on soil composition and hydrological conditions. Most restoration takes place on large abandoned farms and former cattle ranches bordering the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, one of Mesoamerica’s most important remaining rainforest areas.

Reforestation here is not only about trees—it is about people and long-term resilience. The project collaborates closely with local farmers, regional authorities such as the Ministry of Environment, Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Energy of the state of Campeche, and public initiatives like Production for Wellbeing in Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo. Together, these partnerships aim to unite conservation with sustainable land use. Trees planted through these collaborations increase canopy cover across agricultural landscapes while supporting livelihoods in apiculture and silvopasture. It is a model where restoring nature and strengthening local economies go hand in hand.

For more details on this project, visit Plant-for-the-Planet.