Farmers are helped to secure access to the land, use irrigation and obtain inputs such as seed and fertiliser that they may need. Training and practical help are given to introduce improved and sustainable farming methods. Many poor people are without the means to either grow sufficient food or earn enough money to buy the provisions they need. TEAR supports a wide range of projects helping individuals or groups to develop alternative sources of income. TEAR gives priority to those projects which unite communities in cooperative action and encourage sharing of resources and opportunities, allowing the whole community to benefit.
Poor soils become poorer and once-forested hillsides all but disappear into the rivers.
This is catastrophic for both the environment and the poor. Therefore, those projects which enable the poor to gain legal and permanent tenure of their land, and hence allow them to plan and work for their future, and that of their children, are particularly significant. Also important are reforestation projects and the teaching of cultivation methods which nurture the soil and restrict erosion.