The UK Climate Change Act specifies that carbon emissions must be reduced by 80% by 2050 to avoid catastrophic climate change. Businesses and individuals alike have an important and essential role to play in meeting these targets and carbon offsetting is one important tool to fight global climate change.

Forests play an important role in climate change. The destruction and degradation of forests contributes to the problem through the release of CO2. But the planting of new forests can help mitigate against climate change by removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Combined with the sun’s energy, the captured carbon is converted into trunks, branches, roots and leaves via the process of photosynthesis and is thereby stored in the “biomass” of the tree.

Your trees will also have an incredible impact on local communities in Malawi. 90% of the population rely on fuel wood or charcoal for their daily survival and Malawi’s forest cover has been depleted by nearly 50% the last 30 years. Root to Fruit encourages native biodiversity by planting indigenous tree species and community members are trained in coppicing techniques, which allow wood to be harvested without destroying the tree. Fruit trees will improve local nutrition and provide income-generating activities and your trees will improve soil fertility, increase local rainfall, conserve groundwater systems, reduce erosion, and provide natural medicines in Malawi for years to come.