Why tree-planting isn’t the whole story: transforming our thinking about restoring our planet

Katie Pownall

Katie Pownall

“[T]he ‘per-stem’ approach often encourages short-term thinking, with projects focused on the immediate goal of planting a certain number of trees rather than ensuring their long-term growth and integration into healthy ecosystems. There needs to be a focus on outcomes and impact – [and] this shift requires moving beyond the simple metric of trees planted to more sophisticated measures of success, such as improvements in biodiversity, carbon sequestration, community engagement, and ecosystem resilience, all which [the Future Forest Company] has been doing since inception.” - The Future Forest Company
“Acción Andina is not a ‘tree-planting programme’, and it is certainly not a programme where we come and pay people to plant trees for us. That is not the idea. Acción Andina is a comprehensive effort to restore native forest ecosystems of the High Andes for water security, and for many other benefits.” - Florent Kaiser, Global Forest Generation
“The projects have to offer something in return to the local population, [such as] an increase in tourism (because biodiversity is coming back), or an increase in access to nutritious food or cleaner water.” - Trees for the Future
"Studies show that community leadership is key to successful forest restoration. Local people have the most to gain—and the knowledge to ensure ecosystems are cared for over the long term. Their involvement—from project design to forest management—is what makes restoration last." - WeForest
“One of the most important starting points is that the project is fully-integrated in the social landscape in which it takes place – that there is local ownership and leadership of the project, harnessing local knowledge and stewardship of the natural environment that has likely been happening for centuries.” - GFG
“Landscape restoration encompasses all the benefits of planting trees with the bigger picture in mind. Beyond the tree, biodiversity is restored, watersheds are cleaner, local rain patterns are restored, depleted soils are also restored.” - Trees for the Future
“Landscape restoration considers the whole ecosystem and the connections it has to other surrounding ecosystems. Even in cases where tree planting is done using native species and happens at a density and volume that "makes sense" ecologically, it's still just planting trees. What impact will planting those trees have in 5 years, 10 years, 50 years? Who is planting those trees and why are they doing it? Who lives on that land and how do they use the land to survive, and support their livelihoods? All of these questions have to be considered and for that reason, among many more, tree-planting [on its own] is not enough.” - Global Forest Generation
"[Landscape restoration] involves a holistic approach to restoring the broader landscape including its ecosystems, biodiversity, water resources, soil health, and overall ecological function. [It goes] beyond planting trees to consider the restoration of entire ecosystems and landscapes and [is] concerned with the interactions between various elements of the landscape." - Future Forest Company
“Offering to plant trees for cheap does not cover all the real costs of quality projects (training, tools, local staff, benefits, seeds…). Quality projects [which take the holistic approach] ensure a much higher survival rate of those trees.” - Trees For The Future
“[Some tree-planting programmes have] received a lot of negative attention in the last few years, mostly because [they were] not undertaken holistically in the first place. Unfortunately this also means that companies can become sceptical of reforestation in general, which is also not helpful, as reforestation can be a key component of successful, long-term ecosystem restoration.” - Global Forest Generation
“Tree planting is a crucial component of restoration, but so is protecting standing forest, community engagement, and buy-in.” - International Tree Foundation
“We need to repair what has been destroyed or damaged by human activities in order to bring back a healthier environment where humans and biodiversity can thrive.” - Trees for the Future
“Companies must do more, contributing to actively reversing not only the environmental effects of climate change, but working to address the impact that climate change is having on livelihoods, social dynamics and people’s general wellbeing.” - Eden: People + Planet
"Choosing restoration projects carefully, vetting them with the help of the restoration community (companies should not attempt this on their own!), supporting projects in the long-term, and doing so in collaboration with other businesses to support long-term, large-scale initiatives is the only way meaningful impacts will be made.” - Global Forest Generation
“Many partners, especially those who are environmentally conscious, appreciate the shift towards projects that focus on broader ecological health rather than just the number of trees planted. They recognise that these projects are more likely to lead to more sustainable and resilient ecosystems, which aligns with their values and expectations for meaningful environmental and social impact. Other feedback noted is that moving away from per-stem funding allows for greater transparency in reporting and accountability. Overall, the transition from per-stem tree planting to landscape restoration projects has been well-received, with partners recognizing the multiple benefits of this more nuanced and effective approach to ecosystem restoration.” - Eden: People + Planet
“Ecologi's impact funds are a more sustainable way of supporting real impact on the ground and making a tangible contribution to fighting the climate crisis.” - International Tree Foundation

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