Skip to content

Active on multiple continents · Since 2019

Vetiver holds ground when nothing else does.

VSF helps communities and local partners use vetiver to protect soil, water, and fragile land — across Africa, Latin America, and beyond.

Learn what vetiver is
Vetiver planted along a roadside to stabilize land and protect surrounding soil.
Vetiver Sans FrontieresSince 2019

Reported

Up to 90% reduction in soil loss — observed across multiple field sites.

One grass. Many soils. VSF puts it where communities need it most.

Close field view of vetiver planted on vulnerable soil.
Aerial view of vetiver hedgerows on a hillside, showing contour planting pattern.
Vetiver grass holding a steep eroded slope, demonstrating soil erosion control.

What is vetiver?

A deep-rooted grass for soil and water protection.

Vetiver is a practical grass used around the world to slow runoff, hold soil in place, and make fragile ground easier to manage. Its roots reach 3–5 metres deep — that depth is what holds a hillside through heavy rain.

01

Plant in rows

Vetiver is planted in contour hedgerows across slopes, following the land's natural grade.

02

Roots anchor the soil

Within two seasons, roots reach 3–5 m deep, locking soil in place against heavy rain and runoff.

03

Water slows and infiltrates

Hedgerows act as natural silt traps, slowing runoff and pushing water into the ground instead of off it.

04

Land stabilises

Fields, roads, and slopes become more productive and resilient with minimal ongoing maintenance.

How vetiver helps

Reported outcomes from real field conditions.

Every figure is flagged as reported, cited, or a planning reference. These are working benchmarks — results vary by site and management.

Reported

90%

Soil-loss reduction

From vetiver hedgerows on vulnerable slopes. Observed across multiple field sites; results vary by site and management.

Reported

3–5m

Root depth

Typical across field conditions in multiple countries — what holds soil in place through heavy rain.

Planning ref

30+

Countries

Where vetiver is cited in national and regional land and water planning references.

Field evidence

Proof in the ground, season after season.

Across nurseries, slopes, and community sites, VSF follows how vetiver takes root and how fragile land begins to recover.

Field partners in the DRC examining vetiver slips before planting.
Field training
Eroded hillside beside a rural road in San Rafael before stabilization work.
Slope repair
Before and after field sequence showing vegetation recovery on eroded land.
Visible recovery
Young vetiver plants growing in a prepared field bed.
Nursery work
Community field site with planted vetiver rows and surrounding vegetation.
Community sites
Young people outdoors during a nature and field learning activity.
Learning

Where donations go

Concrete. Field-tested. Clearly explained.

VSF shares how donations support practical work on the ground. Here is how contributions can translate into field activity.

$25CAD

200 vetiver slips

Enough planting material for one household to stabilize a small field or road section.

Donate
$100CAD

1 community training

Covers materials, facilitation, and one full-day field training session for a local group.

Donate
$500CAD

1 demonstration nursery

Establishes a local vetiver nursery — the foundation for an entire community planting program.

Donate

Prefer monthly giving? Set up a recurring donation.

Where we work

Field projects on multiple continents.

VSF works with communities and local partners in Africa, Latin America, and beyond. Each site adapts the Vetiver System to local soils, rainfall patterns, and land conditions on the ground.

Congo Basin, DRCFinca Sin Fronteras, Costa RicaSan Rafael+ ongoing sites
Aerial view of land where vetiver projects are active.
Before vetiver, every rainy season meant losing ground. Now the slope holds, and we can actually plant on it.

Jean-Pierre Nlandu

Field partner · Kasangulu, Congo Basin

Support the work

Your gift supports field work.

VSF shares field updates so donors can see how contributions support planting, training, and local follow-through. Receipts may be available for eligible donations.

Quebec nonprofit · Receipts may be available for eligible donations

Newsletter

Stay close to the projects on the ground.

Receive field updates, project stories, and important milestones from Vetiver Without Borders.

A concise way to follow progress without relying on social media.