A series of articles published in May and June 2024 by the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, under the title “Hunger Forest”, misrepresented ECOTRUST’s work and distorted the lived experiences of farmers participating in the Trees for Global Benefit (TGB) programme in Uganda.

The delay in responding publicly reflects the trauma and distress felt by both the affected communities and ECOTRUST team following the journalist’s conduct and the nature of the reporting.

These articles alleged that TGB farmers are facing poverty, hunger, and school dropouts as a result of growing trees. These claims are not only unfounded—they are deeply harmful. They undermine a community-led programme that, for more than 20 years, has supported rural Ugandan families to improve food security, protect nature, and build sustainable livelihoods through agroforestry.

ECOTRUST statement on Aftonbladet’s reporting