• TIST is an innovative time-tested afforestation program led by the participants.

      TIST farmers are successfully counteracting the devastating effects of deforestation, erosion, famine, droughts and floods through an innovative solution: planting millions of trees.

    • TIST farmers respond effectively to the climate change challenge.

       

      TIST encourages small groups of subsistence farmers to improve their local environment and farms by planting and maintaining trees on degraded and/or unused land.

       

      Over 88,000 farmers in 4 countries have successfully planted more than 18,000,000 trees and captured over 4,900,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide to date.

       

      As the trees grow, carbon captured is quantified and verified and certified greenhouse gas credits are sold in the global carbon market.

       

      TIST farmers receive annual carbon pre-payments for each tree established and

      70% of the net profit when credits are sold.

       

      Smallholder farmers also derive significant non-carbon related benefits verified to exceed $7 per tree. Trees provide fruit, fodder, fuel, windbreaks, shade and stabilize riverbanks plus participants have access to health information and training and safe cooking stoves.

    • We believe results should be transparent.

      TIST tree quantification data is always available online:

    • What we are doing right now:

      Highly-effective climate change restoration

      Restoring existing degraded land is a highly effective climate change opportunity.

      Planting 18+ million trees, alive and counting

      Tree planting is one of the simplest and most cost effective means of mitigating climate change, by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere.

      Sequestering carbon and improving lives

      TIST's Verified results show that the current farmers have received over $140 million in benefits that are additional to the carbon income. That is over $7 of benefits so far for each tree planted and kept alive.

    • The International Small Group

      and Tree Planting Program

      Creating effective afforestation and improving farmers' income in response to global climate change!

      The TIST Program grows by word of mouth

      Farmers learn about TIST from other TIST farmers and join small groups of 6-12 people that form clusters of up to 500 local farmers. Clusters coordinate the small groups of women and men and provide leadership opportunities that make a difference in their local community.

      Participating farmers are motivated

      Farmers decide whether, where and how to plant trees, change farming methods, source and own the seeds and keep ownership of the trees and land.

      Trees are restoring degraded environments

      Trees are typically planted on degraded and/or unused land (e.g. around houses for shade, in small wood lots for firewood, along boundaries as windbreaks, along streams for flood and soil control).

      Groves will live a minimum of 30 years

      Participants contract to maintain the tree groves for 30 years in return for annual carbon pre-payments per live tree, and a 70% share of the net profits from carbon credit sales. In addition, farmers have achieved over $7 per tree of non-carbon benefits

      Results are quantified and third-party verified

      After 5 years of tree growth, tree mass and the volume of carbon stored in the trees can be calculated, the carbon captured is verified to international standards, and carbon credits can be offered for sale.

      Carbon credits are created for now and later

      Carbon credits can be retired to offset a carbon footprint, or can be retained and used at a later date.

    • What makes TIST unique?

      Subsistence farmers and sustainability experts agree - TIST deserves its awards!

      Self-reliance and ownership

      Small farmers join voluntarily because they value the benefits of participation. They maintain ownership of their improved farms, trees and products.

      Environmentally and climate friendly

      Large environmental benefits are achieved through improved biodiversity, water quality and soil fertility.

      Sustainable and low cost

      TIST is financially sustainable even at the current low carbon price because TIST’s costs are low.

      Successful and award winning

      TIST is not a greenfield project. 20 years of success has resulted in over 90,000 farmers in 4 countries who have raised over 18 million trees. TIST's model has been widely recognized and acclaimed.

      Scalable

      The TIST Program is participant-led and highly scalable.

    • The TIST Program creates dual validated and verified carbon reductions.

       

      TIST was the world's first dual validated and verified carbon offsetting program by Verified Carbon Standard and Climate, Community and Biodiversity standards.

       

      TIST was voted Best Offsetting Project and Best Project Developer in Forestry and Land Use.

    • A leading carbon offsetting program

      TIST is recognized as a leading carbon offsetting program and has developed an award-winning monitoring system, using third-party verified standards to ensure carbon emission reductions are real.

      Trusted internationally

      TIST has sold carbon offsets directly and through resellers to individuals, groups, organizations, colleges and to a number of large corporations. Purchasers have included BP, Delta Airlines, DHL, Freshfields, Grundon, Hyundai, Marks & Spencer, Microsoft and Tata.

    • Growing leaders!

      These Kenyan women were filmed by Ripple Effect Images to show their success in enriching their lives and local communities through the TIST Program.

       

      Videography: Michael Davie
      Still Photos: Lynn Johnson

    • Each Step Powered by Farmers

      TIST farmers collect seeds, plant trees, improve their farms, monitor their results, and market Verified carbon credits

      First Step: Farmers form Small Groups

      Farmers decide if they want to join TIST to improve their local environment and their farms and then "Go and Do"

      Second Step: Baseline

      Trained quantifiers record the existing environment of each farm

      Third Step: Quantification of Results

      Trees are counted and tree mass data is quantified, recorded and made public

      Fourth Step: Verification

      A 3rd party auditor physically reviews the results of the TIST trees and sequestration

      Last Step: Use by environmental leaders

      Premium carbon credits are sold on the global market to people or organizations who want to combat climate change

    • Who supports TIST farmers' work?

      I4EI

      The Institute for Environmental Innovation (I4EI) facilitates TIST Small Groups' leadership development, restoration, food security and health activities.

      Clean Air Action Corporation

      Clean Air Action partners with I4EI, manages operations including monitoring and verification of environmental and carbon credit results.

      Grow Clean Air

      Grow Clean Air offers products and services to businesses, organizations & individuals through the TIST Program.

    • Want to become a TIST farmer?

      Join the TIST program for your area and plant trees on your farm and in the community!

    TIST Program

    Low bandwidth TIST website

    TIST Documents

     

    Start TIST

    Start TIST in your area

    Support TIST

    Plant trees

    Buy carbon credits

    Donate your talent

     

    Thanks

    TIST Brain Trust

    TIST Partners

    Clean Air Action Corporation

    Institute for Environmental Innovation

    Grow Clean Air

     

     

    4 countries, 88,000 farmers, 18,000,000 trees alive... and counting!

     

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