Our story

PUR Projet started in 2008 under the leadership of Tristan Lecomte, former Founder of Alter Eco (a pioneer Fair Trade company in France). While working with small-scale farmers in Africa, Asia and South America, Tristan experienced first-hand the adverse farming conditions these communities were facing. In addition, it was clear that the challenges facing many of these Farmers was directly linked to the state of ecosystem degradation at the landscape level and to the growing impacts of climate change. Tristan started to discuss with Farmers the opportunity to plant trees to restore land fertility, bring back biodiversity, increase crops resilience and mitigate the impacts of climatic events. From this initial work, PUR Projet was created as a social business to pursue this goal with many other partners.

Creation of PUR Projet
Creation of PUR Projet under the impetus of Tristan Lecomte, a collective of social entrepreneurs sharing a common goal: fighting deforestation and climate change.
Opening of two offices
Opening of the Paris and San Francisco offices.
Insetting with Alter Eco
Launch of the first agroforestry project in Peru, in partnership with Alter Eco and the ACOPAGRO cooperative of organic and fair trade cocoa farmers.
Alto Shamboyacu
Launch of the Alto Shamboyacu project, now Jubilación Segura project in Peru.
Forest conservation activities
Launch of the REDD+ Biocorredor Martin Sagrado project in Peru, as a complement of on-going reforestation projects.
Recognition by TIME Magazine
Tristan Lecomte is named one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2010, and appointed as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and as an Ashoka Fellow.
Cocoa supply chain Insetting
Chocolats Halba, Alter Eco's chocolate maker, joins the Insetting program and commits to evaluate, reduce and offset its carbon footprint by participating in the Alto Huayabamba project. Some shops that sell Alter Eco chocolates organize "tree operations" (for every item sold, a tree is planted in the Alto Huayabamba project). Benefits are enhanced and shared between all the stakeholders.
Plant conservation with Clarins
Thierry Mugler (Clarins group) decided to commit to the preservation of the forest and its rich floral biodiversity, perfumes' key ingredients, and finance the planting of medicinal plants in the Santa Rosa botanical garden in Peru.
Geographic expansion
Launch of new agroforesty projects in Asia and Africa.
Agroforestry with Ben & Jerry's
Through Insetting, Ben & Jerry's supports the development of sustainable agricultural practices and agroforestry in its supply chains (milk, vanilla, cocoa, banana) and fights for climate and social justice.
PUR Projet Thailand
Opening of a regional office in Thailand.
PUR Farm
Creation of the PUR Farm in Thailand, an experimental agroecology farm on 3 hectares.
Alto Huayabamba certification
VCS validation for the Alto Huayabamba project in Peru.
Over 2 million trees planted
PUR Projet reaches 2 million trees planted and 317 000 hectares in conservation.
Agroecological transition in Europe
Launch of agroforestry projects in France and Europe.
Plant for the Planet with AccorHotels
AccorHotels group assigns PUR Projet to manage its Plant for the Planet program according to the principles of Insetting. This program funds tree planting activities with half of the laundry savings generated when customers keep their bath towel for more than one night.
CCBA and VCS validations in Peru
CCBA and VCS validation for the Biocorredor Martin Sagrado project in Peru.
Supply chain audits
Start of supply chain audit activities.
Sustainable economic activities
Integration of complementary activities in order to enhance the projects and their impacts (beekeeping, fish farming, gardening, eco-tourism, etc.).
Insetting in Davos
Insetting presentation at the Davos Economic Forum.
PUR Lab
Creation of the PUR Lab in partnership with universities and research institutes to measure and quantify ecosystem services provided by trees.
Agroforestry with Nespresso
Nespresso decides to engage in a massive insetting program of its coffee supply chains and commits to plant 10 million of trees by 2020 in agroforestry models with coffee farmers.
International Platform for Insetting
Launch of the International Platform for Insetting (IPI) with AccorHotels, CHANEL and Nespresso.
PUR Development
Opening of a regional office in Singapore.
PUR Products
First commercialization of the PUR Products, coming from agroforestry programs of PUR Projet in Thailand.
Accor adopts the Tree Resolution
On the occasion of its AGM, AccorHotels group submits the “Tree Resolution”, approved by 96% of the shareholders, and commits to plant 10 million trees by 2021.
Certification of Dhamma Rakhsa
Ecocert certification for various projects in Thailand (Reforestation and Solidarity standard).
International PUR Team
Opening of regional offices in Colombia and Ethiopia.
Mobilization during COP 21
Climate and forests mobilization during COP 21 promoting the Tree method of personal Insetting.
Pejarakan
Launch of the first marine ecosystems restoration project in Indonesia: Pejarakan.
Recognition by UNESCO
The Biocorredor Martin Sagrado conservation project becomes part of UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (Gran Pajatén declared as a 2.4 million hectares Biosphere Reserve).
B Corp certification
PUR Projet obtains the B Corp certification, awarded to companies that use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems, and meet rigorous standards of accountability and transparency.
7 million trees
7 million trees planted and 384 000 hectares of forest in conservation.
Amazonia Justa
Launch of an impact investing project in Peru aiming at restoring degraded lands through agroforestry activities with local farmers. Agroforestry packages will be provided to farmers thanks to the initial investment, and later on the agroforestry outputs will be partly sold internationally to pay back investors (debt financing) with an interest rate. First stage: restoration of 6,000 ha, long term potential: 100,000 ha.

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