Frequently Asked Questions about TIST

The farmer who cuts down trees harms the other farmers and the TIST program as a whole, as this reduces the tonnes of carbon in the inventory, so less sales, and considering the small group had received advance payments, this means the other farmers will have money deducted on sharing profit. The program credibility is lost as carbon tonnes bought by clients will no longer be there to be shown, this harms the TIST program’s image more.

Yes, it is important to replace the lost carbon tonnes and getting even more from that grove area. However, this best practice is to keep the grove alive for a full 30 years, to maximize benefits to everybody.

The farmers with small trees begin to share profits immediately when their trees are big enough, quantified, profits are sale of carbon less advanced money and cost of the small group services. Farmers share profits based on how much carbon is in their trees.

The profits are shared each and every year. Each year, the profit share is from that year’s profits.

Yes, the carbon payment is impacted, as it will reduce number of trees and in essence carbon tonnes, to replant more trees is the best practice to get back the number of trees and in essence carbon tonnes.

Sale of carbon tonnes - cost of the program = profit, so 70 % of the profit get to farmers and 30 % of the profit get to Clean Air Action Corporation finances TIST, expansion to new areas, and who helps in “Packaging” of carbon.

Therefore: Revenue minus expenses equals profits.

Farmers plant trees and have them quantified to qualify for profit share. Once we make profit, the farmers get 70% of the profit and Clean Air Action Corporation (CAAC) gets 30% of the profit. Farmers continue to qualify each year if they keep their trees alive for 30 years.

Please read your voucher for information on how many tonnes you have, the amount per tonne, and the total prepayments made to your Small Group. As a small group, they discuss between themselves how to share their profit, this in itself help the farmers make their own decision in the spirit of the small group organization.

Profit is money made by farmers, this helps in paying off many bills like school fees, food, clothing, etc, thus it is very important to farmers. Profit share is important to Clean Air Action Corporation because it helps the program to expand to more farmers.

No, as profits are made by sale of carbon tonnes, so harvesting trees no sale is done on carbon tonnes, so no profit. Harvesting hurts the farmers who remain in the program.

Yes. We shall start paying farmers as soon as possible.

Clean Air Action Corporation (CAAC), this attracts people to invest in TIST, helps to pay for the costs in developing TIST, helps pay for costs of packaging the carbon, expansion, office expenses, employee’s salaries and reimbursements, and many more other costs

No. The amount of profit share depends on how the amount of carbon tonnes sequestered from the Small Group’s trees.

The profit share will be received each and every year

Yes.

Yes. Small Groups which have not been updated in the last 18 months will not receive the profit share. When the grove is quantified all of the accrued tonnes are captured and eligible for payment.

Farmers with less than 1,000 trees need to plant more trees for them to qualify for pre- payments. The GHG contract says that farmers will plant 1000 trees in the first year of joining TIST and 5000 trees in the first 5 years.

No. TIST works with Small Groups and not individuals by grove.

Yes. As long as the trees are kept alive and TIST has profits to share.

A tree can sequester more than 1 tonne of carbon. Trees should be kept alive for 30 years to maximize this carbon. Carbon prices depend on the global carbon markets. TIST has sold tonnes from between $3-10 US, before expenses.

Lost tonnes will be made up by the small group by planting many more new trees. Others make up tonnes by maintaining the existing trees and letting their growth exceed the lost tonnes. For some this will occur naturally because tonnes lost are a small proportion and their trees are healthy

Yes. As soon as possible.

Sequestered carbon is the carbon that a tree has or holds in its trunk and branches. While verified carbon is sequestered carbon that has been validated by verifiers.