Xpand Foundation (WithOneSeed)
Organization Details
xpand Foundation has developed the WithOneSeed program over the past ten years. It is a community participation program which assists subsistence farmers in the reforestation of their land. It is now the first internationally certified carbon farming program in Timor-Leste under the Gold Standard Foundation.
The program supports 10 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our long-term vision is to develop social enterprise models that can contribute to building village-based economies using environmental practices that are viable and support sustainable living. Putting an earned dollar in a person’s pocket empowers them to make decisions for their own future. It is beyond charity and aid. Our approach is simple in its theory and application. We’re planting trees and planting ideas.
Impact Story
Agriculture dominates the Timorese economy, accounting for 25% of GDP and approximately 75% of employment. Insufficient food production has led to a dependency on imports of rice and other commodities. Forty-one per cent of the Timor-Leste population lives below the poverty line, average annual family income is no more than a couple of hundred dollars.
According to a 2015 FOA forest report primary and secondary forest cover in Timor-Leste has been in decline since 1975. By 2015 areas of primary forest had dropped to about 46% and today the forests continue to decline at nearly 1.6% a year.
Of critical importance to the people of Timor-Leste is the implementation of strategies to restore landscapes to a sustainable position, maintain them on an ongoing basis and achieve a range of environmental, social and economic outcomes, particularly food security, improved water supply and creation of employment and economic opportunity.
One of the greatest contributions that can be made to the economic and social health of a developing country is to help keep families on the land, housed, employed, earning an increasing income and able to provide for their children’s working and educational future.
The key goals of our program is to achieve change in the way that the community uses the natural environment. Reforestation activities as shown by the WithOneSeed community forestry program are having signification environmental and economic benefits in the rural community. Reducing soil erosion, improving the water table both which will deliver health and well-being outcomes and delivering income through international carbon markets are building the local economy. We've doubled the annual income for more 2000 farming households, have more than 500,000 trees under management and have established a range of community led social enterprises that help build village-base economies.
Diverse Social Enterprise
The TRANSFORM Support Hub is committed to accelerating diverse owned and led enterprises to build more equitable and resilient supply chains.
