In the areas in which we work, farmers are invited to join the project on a voluntary basis. They can take part by planting trees in and around their own land parcels and commit to taking care of them. In exchange, they receive incentives and technical assistance. Participants benefit in many ways: they diversify their revenue short-term by selling fruits or sustainably-cut wood, and they improve the productivity of their agricultural land. Further, preserved ecosystems strengthen and induce resilience in local communities; trees act as capital for the future!

No land on which trees have been planted is owned by PUR Projet, all are property of local farmers. Seedlings are distributed at the beginning of the project by PUR Projet and partner cooperatives.

Several factors are taken into account when defining which tree species are to be planted for a specific project. We consider local climate conditions, the exposure of the parcel, native species and their relation to current crops on the land, historical data, future crop growth, soil properties (pH or ground thickness), and growth speed (diverse growth models to spread revenues linked to tree or wood products over time).

PUR Projet manages the projects long-term. We oversee everything from project design to implementation and monitoring. PUR Projet serves as project coordinator, technical assistance provider, and agroforestry expert for all of our community-led projects and local partners (cooperatives, NGOs, etc...). Whether we start a new project or join an existing initiative, we always start by auditing the projects in the field to assess their relevance according to different criteria (sustainability, social and environmental impacts, project costs, local partners, etc.). We then design the project with local partners and technicians, who coordinate actions in the field. We set up seedling nurseries and train participating farmers in tree planting and maintenance. We coordinate seedling distribution, and gather precise GPS data of the area to be restored and the tree species planted. All this information is stored in our information system which enables us to follow the evolution of the project over time. Additionally, we regularly visit and monitor the projects to check the plantations and ensure their permanence. We offer new training sessions and technical assistance to farmers and cooperatives for the project to be sustainable. When it comes to certification, PUR Projet connects with auditors who visit the projects. Lastly, we send regular progress reports to our partners.

We regularly check the permanence and sustainability of our projects by contacting participating farmers to be sure that plantations have long-lasting positive impacts. We regularly go in the field, especially in the first years after planting, to make sure there are no cases of disease or mistreatment. If this is not the case, we bring technical assistance to farmers and replant if necessary. It is important to note that our action is about restoring degraded areas at an ecosystem level, not only about tree planting. By regenerating themselves, the tree diversity of an ecosystem will evolve naturally (some of the trees will die, others will multiply) until the whole ecosystem reaches a balance. Therefore, we always plant a greater number of trees on a parcel than the number recorded when those trees will have reached maturity. We also teach farmers about maintaining sustainable plantations. This involves cutting or pruning some trees after a period of 5 to 10 years. However, when doing so, we respect strict sustainability and forestry-management guidelines to preserve the restored ecosystem.

Aside from individuals, PUR Projet works with companies of different sizes and sectors who wish to reduce and offset their environmental footprint, as well as contribute positively to the conservation and the restoration of natural ecosystems. The projects presented in the TreeShop are co-financed by some of our partners. If you are - or are part of - a company and want to know more about our approach, please contact us!

The projects available in the shop are representative of the 40 projects managed world-wide by PUR Projet. We have selected these 5 projects for their diverse locations, capacity, and need of planting. Projects available in the shop may change depending on the needs of the land and its capacity to take new plantations.

Using the map or project description page, you can choose one or several countries or projects and select the number of trees you would like to finance in each country. You can buy it for yourself or offer it to a loved one. You can also create several batches of trees (one or more trees in one or more countries) and attribute each batch to a person of your choice.

Once you are on the map looking through the projects, you can add their name in the right-frame, select the desired projects and the number of trees on the map. You can personalize a gift card that will be sent digitally with the tree planting certificate or to print it

We ask for an email address to send you your digital tree planting certificate. The email address is used as a login username to access your personal space named "My Forest". We also ask for your name and postal address to generate your order invoice (sent by email after your payment confirmation). We won't use your personal data for any other use.

The trees you finance belong to the farmer who plants them. Through our partnerships, we supply seedlings to the farmers who will then plant them on their lands. They enjoy the economic benefits of the trees (wood, fruits etc.) and their positive environmental impacts (soil fertility, water retention, reduction of erosion, etc.).

Yes, each tree you finance on the shop is planted within 18-months before or after your purchase. This time-frame is the result of field constraints and limited planting seasons (only about 2 to 3 months per year). Every year, we define the number of pre-financed trees. All the trees planted are registered in our information system which will attribute the trees to you after your purchase. If there are no available trees in the current period, you will finance trees for the next period.

Our projects are monitored long-term (up to 30 years) to ensure the permanence of social and environmental benefits generated by trees. This long-term follow-up involves many activities: seedling preparation, farmer awareness, tree planting, technical assistance, training for farmers and cooperatives, GPS tracking of each parcel, monitoring over several years, local empowerment of the projects, audits and certifications, PUR Projet running costs, etc. All these activities are included in the displayed price of the trees.

The tree planting certificate is a unique document delivered by PUR Projet to any person who finances or receives a tree as a gift. It reports the allocation of the trees from the plantation registry to a natural or legal person. The certificate indicates the name of the project, its localization, the tree species, the name of the farmer who has planted it and the number of trees if several trees were financed simultaneously. If the tree is not planted yet, the certificate you receive is generic and will be automatically updated after the tree is planted.

In addition to the information displayed on the tree planting certificate; you have access to your personal space named "My Forest" where you can explore photos and videos of the project (if available), GPS localization of your parcel, and more information about the context and long term objectives of the project. We also regularly publish some news about the projects on www.purprojet.net.

It isn’t possible for us to take pictures of each planted tree. We monitor our projects at the parcel level. We identify each parcel where trees are planted, the landowner, and the number and species of trees that will be planted on the parcel. Thus, we can only show you where your tree is planted and by who. Going beyond this level of precision would be neither recommended nor manageable: storing more than 8 million pictures of trees would be technically difficult and extremely time-consuming for our technicians without any positive impact for the project. We prefer to use the time of our technicians to follow-up and control the plantations to make sure the project is successful. Moreover, our action is about restoring degraded areas on an ecosystem level, and not only about tree planting. The tree diversity of an ecosystem will evolve naturally (some of the trees will die, others will multiply) until the whole ecosystem reaches a balance making it hard to identify individual trees planted at the beginning of the project.

"My Forest" is a personal account where you can find the trees you financed. There, you can download your tree planting certificate(s) and gift card(s), and find information about agroforestry and the projects you're engaged in. You will also find your invoices and have the ability to share your ‘forest’ on social networks to motivate your friends to plant their own ‘forest’!

Congratulations! You have a gift code to redeem on our website. If you received a gift code, you just need to enter it in your “My Forest” account. You will then be able to download the tree planting certificates and learn more about the project directly through “My Forest". To do this, click on "My Gift Code" and enter your code. If you already have a personal space "My Forest", these new trees will be automatically added, otherwise you will be asked to create your own account (it just takes a few seconds). If you have purchased a gift code for someone, you just need to send it to them and they will follow these instructions!

After finalizing your purchase, our information system assigns you a tree in our database and sends you the associated tree planting certificate by email. You can also find it on your personal account "My Forest", where you can download it whenever you want. If your tree has not been planted yet, do not worry! It will be planted some months later according to the seasonal calendar. Until then, you have access to information about the project and will receive an updated certificate on your personal account as soon as we know the species, the localization, and the name of the farmer who planted your tree.

Carbon offsetting implies several regulatory conditions: it is possible to talk about neutral carbon balance provided that a precise calculation of your greenhouse gases emissions was done with the carbon balance calculation methodology, and provided you bought a sufficient amount of carbon credits (equivalent to the tons of greenhouse gases emissions (CO2 equivalent) you emitted). Carbon credits are generated by carbon offsetting projects, like agroforestry projects, provided that the project is certified according to an accepted international standard, like the Verified Carbon Standard or the Gold Standard, and regularly audited by an independent third party. PUR Projet is operating 3 certified projects but such carbon credits are not available on this shop yet. However, while it is growing, a tree does store CO2 (carbon certified or not). Thus, by planting trees you do offset a part of your carbon footprint but cannot talk about neutral carbon balance without a precise calculation. To give you a rough estimate, a person in France emits 7,5 tons of greenhouse gases per year. 25 to 40 trees per year (depending on projects) would necessary to offset it. For more info: http://www.info-compensation-carbone.com/

Our consumption choices have a direct impact on natural ecosystems worldwide because most raw materials used for the goods we consume everyday proceed from these ecosystems. Besides planting trees, you can also be part of a safe and sustainable environment by adopting a responsible consumption and by sorting through your waste. If you are a company or an employee in a company, and if you would like your firm to get involved in the initiatives we are working on, do not hesitate to contact us!

PUR Projet is a social business. We define a social enterprise as a firm whose mission is to develop or implement social and environmental initiatives directly contributing to preserving and regenerating the environment. Such firms do not aim for profit maximization, but aim for the common good with strong ambition in terms of quality, sustainability, and scale of its positive environmental impact. As a social business, we reinvest all of our profits in the development of our projects and initiatives.

Our business’s legal status does not give right to any tax deduction.

Aside from individuals, PUR Projet works with companies of different sizes and sectors who wish to reduce and offset their environmental footprint, as well as contribute positively to the conservation and the restoration of natural ecosystems. We help our partners reintegrate negative externalities within their value chain, and adopt a transformative approach for more sustainable practices. For example, we do so by implementing projects directly within our partners' supply chains. Some of the projects you finance through the shop are also supported by our clients. If you are a company and are interested in our approach, feel free to contact us!