Over the past 25 years, Earthworm Foundation has worked hand-in-hand with communities, companies, and nature to drive meaningful change.
To mark this milestone, we created a series of animated doodles and reflections that capture the essence of our journey—our challenges, achievements, and the inspiration that fuels our work for a better future. We’ve brought all these creative pieces together in one place. Explore the doodles and stories that reflect Earthworm Foundation's 25 years of transformation and a vision for the years ahead.
Explore our 25th-anniversary newsletters below:
Read our 25th-anniversary newsletter - Forest edition, here.
🌳 25 years ago, The Tropical Forest Trust (TFT) was born.
With one employee in the UK, we started our journey working with Timber supply chains. The symbol of the tree is dear to our hearts. It signifies intricate connections, strength, resilience and, most importantly, life.
As important as the tree is, the Earthworm.
Our founder, Scott Poynton, connected to the Earthworm as a kid when he heard an old forester, Richard Saint Barbe Baker, praising the fantastic action of this animal on a radio program. That day, he found inspiration to create the TFT. Today, we are known as Earthworm Foundation.
🪱 The Earthworm is an animal that we identify well with - its action, behaviour, and usefulness symbolically resonate with our values.
The Earthworm connects the surface and the deep soil by moving vertically across the horizons. It connects the darkness and the light. We connect buyers to suppliers, NGOs to companies, smallholders to processors, and people to people.
It creates tunnels that make the rainwater stay and irrigate the soil. We create channels of trust that allow ideas, innovation, and solutions to be developed and circulated.
It turns death into life by transforming dead organic matter (leaves, straw etc.) into food for plants. We work to heal the world, going into the darkest places where there is exploitation and deforestation to bring back life.
It follows its instinct to relentlessly do its job around the world as a global community. We trust our gut and our feelings and work as a community that is connected by the same purpose around the world.
It is resilient as a species. If accidentally or voluntarily cut, it can still survive.
✊🏽 We never give up. We are criticised, hit, and challenged, but nevertheless, we are here, trying to do our job of healing the planet we live on.
It is small but has very impactful actions. We are a small organisation, but we produce a positive impact at a scale where we work. We say stay positive, believe in others, believe in yourself, and do something, even if it seems small and insignificant.
Because small steps lead to BIG changes!
Read our 25th-anniversary newsletter - Forest edition, here.
Read our 25th-anniversary newsletter - Impacts edition here.
🌟 Witnessing a murmuration of starlings is one of nature's most mesmerising spectacles. These birds gather in large flocks, twisting and turning in perfect synchrony, creating fluid, ever-changing shapes in the sky.
But why do starlings perform these aerial ballets?
Flying in such tight formations reduces predation risk and demonstrates resilience as they navigate challenges such as predators or changing weather conditions. Likewise, supporting farmers and communities and strengthening their resilience are at the heart of our work.
It's a stunning display of collective behaviour, where each bird follows simple rules based on the movements of its neighbours, resulting in a coordinated and dynamic display. 🚵 Each bird in a murmuration is a participant and leader within a complex and ever-evolving system. Each has the power to shape the direction and shape of the whole system, to create entirely new constellations.
This natural phenomenon is a reminder of the power of collaboration and the beauty that emerges from unity. Just like the murmuration of starlings, we at Earthworm Foundation believe in the power of collective movement. Watching these birds soar in perfect harmony, guiding each other through new paths, reminds us that change is possible and inevitable when we come together.
Their synchronised flight symbolises how solutions can spread and scale when we work in unison. By moving together with a shared purpose, we can achieve truly extraordinary things.
Read our 25th-anniversary newsletter - Impacts edition here.
Read our 25th anniversary newsletter - What 25 years have taught us edition here.
Read our 25th anniversary newsletter - What 25 years have taught us edition here.
In the past 25 years, Earthworm Foundation has journeyed across countless bridges, seeking a better reality for people and the planet. Each bridge we cross represents our commitment to genuine transformation, navigating the uncertainties that lie ahead, hand in hand with our partners and communities.
When we engage with a company, a community or a farmer, we often do not know what it will take to get to a better place. There is no magic recipe when one wants to protect and restore lands and forests impacted by complex global supply chains. Solutions emerge as we together step on this bridge and engage with the unique reality of this particular supply chain or this particular landscape.
With every step across, we learn, adapt, and evolve. We embrace the unknown as a space for creativity, where solutions unfold from diverse perspectives and shared experiences. Each crossing unites us, turning uncertainty into opportunity, and invites collaboration that transcends boundaries.
Together, we build bridges that connect ideas to actions, people to solutions, and communities to change. Our journey is a collective one, where every effort contributes to a more grounded vision of sustainability and genuine healing for our planet.
As we look forward, let us remember that the most significant transformations occur when we are willing to courageously venture into the unknown together.
Because every bridge crossed makes us better individuals, better organisations, better partners... and will eventually leads us closer to a brighter, more sustainable future.
Read our 25th anniversary newsletter - What 25 years have taught us edition here.
Read our 25th-anniversary newsletter - A 2050 vision edition here.
Imagine all the people, living life in harmony.
Imagine, by 2050, this dream has become reality. It’s a world where businesses prioritise climate commitments, where supply chains are transparent, raw materials are responsibly sourced, and where farmers, workers, and communities are supported. It’s a world built on the values of trust, collaboration, and care for the planet we all share.
In this future, the earthworm—a humble yet vital creature—represents the quiet but powerful work that makes this vision possible. It symbolises the transformative efforts of individuals and organisations that have worked tirelessly to restore balance. From the fields to the boardrooms, a culture of accountability has risen. Governments and businesses act beyond regulations to protect ecosystems. Companies act with integrity, ensuring their products are responsibly sourced. Farmers receive fair wages, and their land is cared for as a source of life for generations to come.
At Earthworm Foundation, this vision reflects everything we have stood for over the past 25 years: bridging the gap between people and the planet, creating connections that foster trust, and proving that sustainable solutions are achievable when we work together.
The year 2050 is not a distant dream. The year 2050 is a culmination of the choices we make today. A future where the products we consume leave no trail of exploitation. A future where thriving communities and healthy ecosystems are the norm, not the exception.
This is a world where the earthworm still quietly nurtures life but no longer works alone. Every field tilled, every seed planted, and every product created tells a story of fairness, sustainability, and hope.
Let this vision inspire you to act today for a brighter tomorrow.
Read our 25th anniversary newsletter - A vision for the future.
All illustrations by Taisia Eltsina.
