Why planting trees cheaply is dangerous

“How cheaply can you plant a tree?” Well-known companies often ask us that question. Can we beat their lowest bidder? One major company we spoke to expected tree planting, reporting and experimental scientific innovation for just 75 cents per tree. Another had been quoted 18p a tree and wondered if we could go even cheaper.

When number of trees put in the ground at the cheapest possible price becomes the only measure of success, tree planting turns into a race to the bottom. And at the bottom nobody wins, not nature, not communities and certainly not the trees.

The fact is, we could do it cheaper. But at best the trees won’t survive and at worst they’ll actively damage the ecosystem and those that depend on it. And at ITF we’re in the business of nature restoration, of helping people and planet thrive together, not helping businesses greenwash.

The cost of cutting corners

Stories abound of projects that are poorly planned and carelessly implemented. In Scotland, the company BrewDog reported that they had to replace 250,000 dead trees, half of what they planted, because they cut corners.

In the Philippines, a “one million mangroves” competition achieved a survival rate of less than two percent – a race with no winner.

When tree planting is done on the cheap, the wrong trees are planted, the trees don’t survive and local people don’t benefit.

What success looks like

In March, I travelled to the Great Rift Valley in Kenya where ITF has worked for many years. Here I spent time with communities on the frontline of the climate crisis, talking with leaders, women’s groups and young people about their vision for their land. They showed me fruit trees weighed down with avocadoes and mangoes ready to sell in the local market. Young forests alive with birdsong. Streams returning as the watershed repairs.

When tree planting is locally led, it restores nature while benefiting the tree planters

This is restoration done right, where local people lead and results last. When tree planting is integrated with human development. Not only do trees survive, but nature recovers and livelihoods are lifted.

What would you have us cut?

So when a company asks us how cheap we can go I ask ‘what would you like us to cut’? How many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals should we abandon? Should we stop sourcing seeds from community-run tree nurseries? Abandon threatened species and high value trees like fruit trees? Cut women’s leadership programmes and environmental education? Scrap community enterprises like bee keeping and kitchen gardens? Reduce on-going monitoring and maintenance? None of these are add-ons, they're what make restoration work.

Bringing Kenya's threatened trees back from the brink is a vital part of ITF’s restoration work

Planting trees for people and planet

We need to collectively shift the conversation from “how cheap?” and “how many trees?” to “how much impact can we create for people and planet?” When we focus on long term, sustainable restoration, led by local people and tailored to their context, the results are more extensive, longer lasting and more impactful.

We’re not alone in this vision. We hugely value our partnerships with those who, like ITF, believe in lasting quality such as Ecologi, the World Resources Institute, UPS and many more. If like them, you want to create lasting restoration that benefits people and planet, if you want to focus on quality not cost, then get join us today.

Join the restoration movement today

Create lasting, sustainable change for people and planet through local restoration. Join ITF in planting trees the right way today.