Éric Garault
France • Born: 1975
Guardians of the Living World 

This exhibition tells four stories. In order to document the work of the Yves Rocher Foundation, which has supported reforestation programmes worldwide since 1991, photographer, photo-reporter and acclaimed portraitist, Éric Garault travelled to Togo, Ecuador, the Netherlands, and across rural France. As he travelled, he encountered men and women living in very different ecosystems. Each community is facing its own challenges and developing solutions in which trees play a central role.

Bordered by Ghana and Benin, the lush landscapes of Togo, West Africa, conceal deep environmental fragility. Demographic pressure and shrinking farmland are pushing farmers to cultivate along the banks of the Zio River. This, in turn, worsens erosion and increases the risk of flooding.

In France, more than half of all farms have disappeared since the 1980s, which has also weakened living eco-systems. Bird and pollinator populations have fallen by 30 - 60%. Faced with this decline, new models of farming are emerging in response.

In the Netherlands, where every square metre counts, trees also make a difference. With much of its land reclaimed from the sea and lowlying wetlands, the Netherlands is also one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Farming here is steeped in longstanding traditions, yet it has had to adapt. Farmers rely increasingly on intensive and greenhousebased systems, have to cope with scarce and expensive land, and work with polluted water and fragile biodiversity.

Ecuador is the first country to embed the “rights of nature” in its constitution. Nevertheless, its forests are still under pressure from oil interests that threaten vital ecosystems.

Behind every ecological challenge lies a social challenge. Protecting the environment must go hand in hand with respecting the needs and rights of the people who live there. The Yves Rocher Foundation is therefore committed to helping thousands of families escape poverty and improve their living conditions.

Despite the distances that separate these regions, they are all connected through the fragile power of trees. Trees act as both barriers and resources, but, above all, they are symbols of a shared future. They embody a decision to plant, protect, and pass on knowledge to future generations, so that life can be preserved and some measure of harmony restored between humanity and Earth. 

This exhibition celebrates the Yves Rocher Foundation’s 35th anniversary, in 2026. The Foundation financed this series of photographic essays, over the course of a year, as part of its mission to support environmental action. 

Jardin du relais postal.