A private sector, non-profit and community partnership is on track to plant 5 million trees to improve environmental, economic and social conditions in rural regions of Haiti.

Central Coast News reports on how the company, Timberland has joined up with local NGO, Smallholder Farmers Alliance, to implement a self-sustaining agroforestry program that will help Haitian farmers to improve crop yields. Together they plan to develop eight community tree nurseries and agricultural training centers.

Involving 2,000 smallholder farmers in the rural area near Gonaives, Haiti, after just three years, the Alliance operates as a farmer-managed, self-financed operation. Farmers volunteer their time to manage the tree nurseries and plant trees in return for agricultural services - such as high yield seed, training and support - that result in increased crop yields of between 40 and 50 percent. While they sell their crops individually, the cooperative uses funds from the sale of excess trees from the nurseries to continue providing services.

Farmers in Haiti lost between 40 and 70 percent of their crops as a result of hurricanes Isaac and Sandy in 2012. Using income from tree sales, members of the cooperative were able to purchase extra seed to replant their storm-damaged fields.

There are now plans to launch another agroforestry cooperative later this year in a different location and perhaps even more across the country in the future.

Read the full story: Timberland Helps Haiti Plant 2 Million Trees, and Counting