The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST)

During the past 20 years, the Clean Air Action Corporation (CAAC) has funded and managed The International Small Group and Tree Planting Program (TIST). Following a 10-year pilot project and nine years of commercial operation, TIST has replicated and scaled from 77 subsistence farmers in central Tanzania to 216,812 farmers today. TIST has developed and successfully proven technical, operational, and managerial capabilities to provide education to farmers, monitor their results and access the nascent "offset" or "carbon" market. The TIST business model is based on local entrepreneurial efforts that develop leadership and initiate expansion. The project now provides third-party verified agricultural, health, gender, leadership and income opportunities to these subsistence farmers. In addition, TIST Farmers have demonstrated that poor farmers around the globe have the ability to combat climate change as the industrial and transportation systems decarbonize. TIST Farmers can change the global CO2 trajectory! Planting trees is a cost-effective and efficient way to remove carbon from the atmosphere. TIST provides long-term revenue for TIST participants through the sale of greenhouse gas credits (GhG) on the international voluntary carbon market. This has led to over 25 million trees planted (alive, counted and verified) on over 100,000 acres of degraded land in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and India. These trees have sequestered over 8 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to taking over 850,000 cars off the road! In addition to being paid for removing carbon, TIST Farmers reap the natural benefits of trees including erosion control, water improvements, fruit, medicine, firewood and fodder for their animals. So far, each $1 TIST has spent has created $8 of verified benefits for the farmers - not counting the benefits to the rest of the world. We believe farmers are the answer to reverse the effects of deforestation, drought and famine worldwide.