Resilience Grows Here: Powered by Diversity, Strengthened by Adaptability
1.1493° N, 34.5418° E Uganda, Africa
Dear Friends,
Change is often a component of end-of-year reflections, and in 2025 change has been especially profound for TREES and other international NGOs. As the world around us shifts, the TREES’ team and our many partners have continued to deliver. With your support, we have mirrored the resilience of smallholder farmers who have adapted to tumultuous change on their land for decades. As the year ends, we are looking forward confidently to the launch of a transformational new strategy that sets our path for 2026 and beyond.
Adaptability will be core to our success as we move forward. Central to that success will be the knowledge and insights that will come from new investments in monitoring, reporting and validation. We are already starting to see evidence of this through pilot surveys assessing income growth, biodiversity enhancement, and improved nutrition among our partner communities. Going forward, we will monitor these changes systematically, assessing the durability and diversity of the benefits our farmer partners are realizing. These verified outcomes are the promise of our approach, and we commit to being accountable for delivering and transparently proving them.
Adapting to new global funding trends has led to difficult but necessary decisions to better align our operations with available resources and future priorities. As part of a strategic review, we decided to close our projects in West Africa by the end of 2025. While this transition is challenging, it allows us to focus our efforts deeper in farming communities in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The accomplishments from Senegal and Mali are highlighted in this year’s impact report, and I extend my sincere appreciation to colleagues and partners whose work has laid a foundation for continued progress for their communities.
The coming year will require continued adaptability and diversification for farmers and TREES alike. With your partnership, we will meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.
With thanks,
Tim McLellan, CEO
01
A Continent of Partner Farmers
Africa is home to 33 million smallholder farmers working on over 600 million acres of degraded land—producing 80% of the continent’s food.
02
A Land Under Strain
03
Strength in Diversity
The FGA is uniquely positioned to adapt across a diversity of landscapes and cultures.
04
The Power to Restore
Restoring degraded land with Forest Gardens can revitalize millions of acres, strengthen communities, and help Africa lead on global climate and Sustainable Development Goals.
Trees Planted
Partner Farmers
Hectares Under Restoration
See how degraded land is transformed into a thriving Forest Garden ecosystem:
Locally-led TREES teams and farmer partners tailor the FGA to their unique conditions, such as water shortages, age & gender dynamics, land scarcity, or conflict—ensuring it works for their farm, their climate, and their community.
As we close 2025, we look ahead with clarity and purpose. Just as farmers adapt to shifting seasons, TREES is preparing to launch our 2026 Strategic Plan—a roadmap rooted in adaptability and designed to meet the challenges and opportunities of the years ahead.
Our vision is ambitious and diverse, reflecting the farmer-led solutions at the heart of our work. Each goal builds on decades of experience while pushing us toward bold new milestones that strengthen food security, restore ecosystems, and expand economic opportunity.
Farmers remain our greatest teachers and leaders. Their resilience proves that lasting change grows from the ground up. As we step into this next chapter, TREES will continue to adapt, diversify, and grow alongside them, building a future where people and the planet can thrive for generations to come. Farmers are proving that resilience grows from the ground up—and with your partnership, we’re ready to rise even higher.
