Virgin Records founder Richard Branson announced his collaboration with the Clinton Foundation and Yunus Social Business Global Initiatives (YSB) on Haiti Forest, a reforesting initiative designed to replenish Haiti’s woodlands. Haiti Forest aims to plant over a million trees each year. See excerpts here and access the full article in the link below:

Although 70 percent of the population relies on agriculture as a source of income, about 98 percent of the country’s land has been deforested.

Haiti Forest aims to plant over a million trees each year, including reforesting 1,000 hectares around the town St Michel d’Attalaye. The initiative is expected to improve the lives of nearly 4,500 farmers as well as create 200 additional jobs outside the farming industry, Branson said in a blog post. “In total the economic impact is estimated to be over $4 million yearly revenue across the whole ecosystem.”

“This is a true team effort. It’s a really exciting model and there are already some great businesses demonstrating it at work.” Branson highlighted Haitian-owned beauty business, Kreyol Essence, who committed to planting over 40,000 castor oil plants and creating 300 jobs over the next three years.  “Yve-Car’s [Momperousse] success is success for Haiti and her people too,” he said of the Kreyol Essence founder. [. . .]

For full article, see http://haitiantimes.com/virgin-records-richard-branson-announces-reforestation-project-in-haiti/