Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

FTFA’s various gardening programmes educate and enable people to take control of their own food sovereignty. Project members are taught to grow their own nutritious food – sustainably; share their knowledge and resources; and form food security networks within and across their communities.

FTFA is an established education and skills development organisation in the areas of environment, food security, and agriculture. Practical learning is incorporated as a foundational element in all initiatives, thereby ensuring long-term community development. Our flagship school food gardening programme, EduPlant, is the largest and most impactful in South Africa.

FTFA’s food security and tree planting programmes provide long-term and short-term employment opportunities. Every project has an educational component, and many youth involved in the programmes choose to pursue careers in environmental science and agriculture, improving their employability later in life.

Over many years, FTFA has learned that uplifting and empowering the most vulnerable members of our society is the best way to reduce inequalities. This is why the majority of our project members are black women and youth. Consequently, our social development initiatives prioritise women and youth who usually champion the projects within their communities.

FTFA makes cities more resilient, safer and sustainable through various urban gardening and greening initiatives. Our projects receive long-term support and ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure their sustainability.

Regenerative action is at the heart of all of our programmes. Our techniques and methodologies imparted to communities ensure that food and trees are sustainably planted and harvested. Thus we enhance the natural environment and contribute to climate resilience.

Urban and rural tree planting initiatives as well as our afforestation projects contribute to the fight against climate change. Additionally, we house the African Climate Reality Project (ACRP) under the FTFA banner. ACRP Climate Leaders create tools and resources to support a network of African leaders who mobilise communities to find solutions to climate change.

FTFA’s afforestation and tree planting in South Africa create greenbelts that support biodiversity. These programmes are rolled out across various landscapes and biomes. Additionally, they result in the regeneration of barren land and reverse land degradation. Our community gardens are also designed to provide small-animal habitats that promote biodiversity.

FTFA’s tailored food gardening initiatives promote improved nutrition, reduce hunger, and create more food secure communities. The thousands of trees we plant each year also bring benefits such as cleaner air, shade, more green spaces. These improved landscapes translate directly into better health and mental wellbeing, as well as reduce crime.

The majority of our project owners and beneficiaries are women, girls and youth. FTFA provides education and training, as well as valuable tools and resources to support them in their journey to self-sustainability. We believe that women and youth are the cornerstones of our future food security.

Trees not only clean the air, they also slow down rainwater runoff, prevent or ameliorate floods and reduce sedimentation in waterways. Trees absorb and clean water through their roots. FTFA aims to plant more indigenous trees in the right places and thereby contribute to improved water quality.

FTFA works alongside conscientious and environmentally aware partners and funders to deliver the most impactful programmes to society. The communities we work with are clustered together to create a sustainable network of likeminded, well educated people. In this way, the positive impacts of our programmes are shared and multiplied.