The nonprofit group Trees for the Future on Monday began planting the first of 500,000 fruit trees and other native species in Haiti. The goal of the project is to help with reforestation efforts and to provide economic benefits to underprivileged communities.
Through planting beneficial fruit trees and using sustainable
agroforestry practices, Trees for the Future aims to work with Haitian
farmers and bring land destroyed by the devastating earthquake back to
productivity. Experts at Trees for the Future say that reforestation is a
top priority in Haiti right now to help replenish degraded lands.
“Our efforts will provide various economic opportunities for communities throughout Haiti and create a healthier environment that will benefit the region for years to come,” said David Deppner, co-founder and executive director of Trees for the Future.
The Haiti project is part of the larger Avatar Home Tree Initiative taking place in fifteen countries on six continents to raise global awareness of the importance of reforestation in sustainable development and carbon emission reduction. The effort is the result of a partnership by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Earth Day Network. James Cameron, director of the movie Avatar, initially announced the joint effort on Earth Day 2010.
Headquartered in Silver Spring, Md. and founded in 1989, Trees for the Future works through seed distribution, sustainable management and agroforestry training, and in-country technical assistance. Its goal is to empower rural groups worldwide to restore tree cover to their lands, protect the environment and help to preserve traditional livelihoods and cultures for generations.
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I could be wrong, but I believe planting more trees in Haiti will fail like all other reforestation efforts. Topsoil needs to be replaced first, and it is done from the top down, not from the bottom up. There are roughly 12 plants that grow very well in areas ravaged by erosion. They need to be strategically planted on the hillsides long before new trees are introduced. I will not get into peasant charcoal production….but if you want new trees to grow you had better find work for the people so they will leave the new growths alone. Until you address these two issues, land management sustainability on the Western Third of Hispaniola is as much fiction as Avatar.
There are dozens of nitrogen fixing trees that can be used in haiti, but yes, getting solar ovens and other means of reducing charcoal use is crucial as well. Topsoil actually does get built from the ground up if done correctly.