Causes

Health & nutrition Community & economic development Environment

Posted by

Mike M.

Secretary-Treasurer

Our mission

Trees That Feed Foundation's (TTFF) mission is planting fruit trees to feed people, create jobs and benefit the environment. Our goal is to alleviate hunger in Haiti, Jamaica and other less developed countries around the world. TTFF aims to see communities in these areas with a sustainable food supply, a marketplace for food products, increased job opportunity and an improved, reforested environment.

What we do

At Trees That Feed Foundation, we try to alleviate hunger and improve the environment through distributing high-yield fruit trees. The trees we distribute are predominantly breadfruit, although distributed varieties can also include mango, fig, pomegranate, cashew, etc. A breadfruit tree can produce 200-300 fruits per year and live for five to seven decades. The fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals, and is a source of gluten-free carbohydrates and protein. One breadfruit tree can produce enough fruit to feed a family of four for a lifetime.

We also partner with Northwestern University to test and develop harvesting equipment that is accessible for farmers to use for breadfruit flour production. The current equipment includes peeler, shredder, dryer and grinder prototypes, which together constitute a "Factory in a Box" that TTFF distributes to farmer communities.

Since its inception in 2009, TTFF has planted over 350,000 food-bearing trees, provided 17 kits of fruit processing equipment and cultivated local breadfruit markets to produce and deliver over 3,500 lbs of breadfruit flour. Breadfruit processing equipment kits cost approximately $2,500 USD. To fund a tree, including delivery and education costs, TTFF asks donors for US$15.00. We predominantly focus on the Caribbean, but we are rapidly expanding. Tree distributions have been made in over 20 countries throughout Central America, the Caribbean and Africa. We receive requests from all over the world.