Tree-Nation tackles climate change in 4 African countries through reforestation

In Africa, multiple projects are underway where communities are planting tree species carefully selected according to the specific benefits they bring to the environment and to the local populations. In Tanzania, Tree-Nation aims to plant 1 million trees and help conserve biodiversity in the Magamba Mature Reserve. In Bore, Kenya, the project aims to plant 100,000 trees and work with local subsistence farmers to grow new food crops that reduce stress on their forests; while in Dassa, Burkina Faso, the target is 50,000 trees. In northwest Madagascar, Tree-Nation now supports the Eden Reforestation Project, which has successfully planted over 16 million mangrove and dry deciduous trees since 2007, in response to the large scale loss of mangroves and upland forests. The project provides support to local communities to plant and manage mangrove forests on lands surrounding villages, improving the livelihood of the local community while protecting the biodiversity that depends on these forests for survival.

Citizen and corporate support

The initiative, which combats climate change and the impacts of deforestation, depends on support from individuals and corporates.

“We will not be able to win the fight against climate change unless we stop deforestation. We need to plant 4 billion trees per year every year for the next 10 years just to compensate for the deforestation that has occurred in the last decade,” says Maxime Renaudin, Tree-Nation’s founder and director.

“Trees are at least 100 times cheaper than the next best solution to store carbon. In addition, they bring many environmental and social benefits beyond absorbing carbon and releasing oxygen to the atmosphere. They are a natural resource which grows by itself and does not require the exploitation of other resources for its production,” adds Renaudin.

Barcelona-based Tree-Nation ​​uses proprietary technology to facilitate tree planting. The platform has more than 300 tree species available, making it possible for people and companies to participate in reforestation projects worldwide.

“Trees address some of the most threatening issues our generation is facing: pollution, species extinction, climate change, desertification, deforestation, floods, poverty, malnutrition and even deadly viruses. For many of these problems, planting trees is a critical part of the solution and both individuals and companies can now easily get involved and play their role in the fight for a more sustainable future,” says Renaudin.