The Gaia Foundation
The Gaia Foundation is a UK-registered charity accompanying Indigenous Peoples and local communities across Africa, the Amazon, the UK and Ireland to revive bio-cultural diversity, seed sovereignty, and Earth Jurisprudence through training, campaigns, and movement-building.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersHove, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Gaia Foundation does
The Gaia Foundation is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 327412) headquartered in Brighton, operating since its 1987 registration with a small team of 1–10 staff to accompany Indigenous Peoples and local communities in reviving bio-cultural diversity and resisting ecological and social injustice. Its work spans four stated areas — Food and Seed Sovereignty, Earth Jurisprudence, Beyond Extractivism, and Sacred Lands and Waters — delivered through five interconnected programmes: the UN-commended three-year Trainings for Transformation (co-facilitated with the Siama Programme); the African Earth Jurisprudence Collective community of practice spanning seven African countries; the Seed Sovereignty UK & Ireland Programme (training 500+ seed growers and producing 300+ new plant varieties); the We Feed The UK storytelling campaign pairing photographers and poets with food custodians; and the Yes to Life No to Mining global solidarity network, of which Gaia is a founding member.
The Foundation's underlying "technology" is methodological rather than digital: participatory eco-cultural mapping (mapping ancestral territories across past, present, and future stages), Rivers of Life (community Life Plans), seasonal calendars, and wilderness-immersive experiential training. It produces a content library of films and animations screened in 150 countries across five languages, and reaches 55 million+ people via the We Feed the World photography campaign. Its business model is donation-driven, with recurring micro-pledges (e.g., £2.50/month Seed Packet Pledge), grant funding, matched-funding campaigns (Big Give), Teemill-powered merchandise sales, and global movement partnerships distributing impact across Africa, the Amazon, the UK, and Ireland.
The Gaia Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Gaia Foundation
- Legal name
- The Gaia Foundation
- Website
- https://gaiafoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Gaia Foundation is a UK-registered charity accompanying Indigenous Peoples and local communities across Africa, the Amazon, the UK and Ireland to revive bio-cultural diversity, seed sovereignty, and Earth Jurisprudence through training, campaigns, and movement-building.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Gaia Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Advocacy and Bio-cultural Diversity Conservation
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210)
- SIC
- Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM), Agroforestry & Perennial Cropping Systems (EUABABAD), Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) Program Development & Administration (AFAMAMAF)
Keywords
Where The Gaia Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hove
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Gaia Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Gaia raises funds from individual donors and supporters. Donation options include one-time gifts and recurring monthly pledges (e.g., Seed Packet Pledge at £2.50/month). Campaigns like Seed Week raise targeted amounts (£20,000 target). Donations are processed via third-party processor PayPal.
- Merchandise Sales: Gaia sells merchandise (organic cotton t-shirts, tote bags, photography prints) through a Teemill-powered storefront. All proceeds support the organisation's work reviving biocultural diversity.
- Grants and Programme Funding: Gaia has historically received grant funding for its programmes, including Microprojects grants for frontline defenders, and support for African Earth Jurisprudence training and seed sovereignty work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Seed Packet Pledge — £2.50/month recurring donation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Gaia Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Gaia Foundation accompanies Indigenous Peoples and local communities to revive bio-cultural diversity, restore seed sovereignty, develop Earth-centred governance systems, and protect sacred lands from extractivism. Its core offerings centre on the three-year Trainings for Transformation course in Earth Jurisprudence, the African Earth Jurisprudence Collective, the Seed Sovereignty UK & Ireland Programme, and the Yes to Life No to Mining global network, supported by storytelling through film, animation, and photography campaigns.
Product overview
The Gaia Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization (Reg. Charity No. 327412) offering advocacy programmes and educational initiatives rather than a technology product platform. Its core offerings consist of five interconnected programmes: the three-year Trainings for Transformation (Earth Jurisprudence Training) which cultivates Earth-centred leadership; the African Earth Jurisprudence Collective which provides an ongoing community of practice for graduates; the Seed Sovereignty UK & Ireland Programme which supports grassroots growers and seed networks; the We Feed The UK storytelling campaign raising public awareness; and the Yes to Life No to Mining global activist network. These programmes work holistically to regenerate healthy ecosystems and strengthen community self-governance alongside Indigenous and local communities globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Trainings for Transformation (Earth Jurisprudence Training) A three-year experiential training course that critically assesses industrial growth society and explores Earth Jurisprudence as a life-sustaining alternative, cultivating Earth-centred consciousness among African civil society leaders. Co-facilitated with Siama Programme; graduates become Earth Jurisprudence Practitioners.
- African Earth Jurisprudence Collective A community of practice formed by graduates and facilitators of the Trainings for Transformation, with a shared commitment to reviving indigenous lifeways for resilience across Africa.
- Seed Sovereignty UK & Ireland Programme A programme working with experts and growers across the UK and Ireland to accompany grassroots growers to cultivate a food revolution that starts with seed, training seed growers and reviving endangered crop varieties.
- We Feed The UK A storytelling campaign pairing photographers and poets with the UK's best custodians of soil, sea and seed, exhibiting across the country to raise awareness about small-scale farmers.
- Yes to Life No to Mining A global network of communities and activists defending lands and waters from mining, advancing life-sustaining post-extractive alternatives; Gaia is a founding member.
Quantifiable outcome
- 26+ million hectares of Colombian Amazon legally held by Indigenous communities
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Gaia Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Gaia Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Gaia Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / core, core and minor.
- Yes to Life No to Miningflagship / coreGaia is a founding member of Yes to Life No to Mining, a global solidarity network of communities and activists defending lands and waters from mining. The network has members and allies around the planet and is actively involved in resisting extractivism and advancing post-extractive alternatives.
- Seed Sovereignty UK & Ireland ProgrammecoreGaia leads the Seed Sovereignty Programme, working with experts and growers across the UK and Ireland to strengthen regional and national seed networks and revive endangered crop varieties. The programme has trained 500+ seed growers and produced 300+ new plant varieties.
- African Earth Jurisprudence CollectivecoreGraduates and facilitators of Gaia's Trainings for Transformation form this community of practice, accompanying Indigenous communities across Africa on journeys of cultural and ecological revival. The collective spans Benin, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Ethiopia.
- African Biodiversity NetworkcoreGaia helped establish the African Biodiversity Network, which channels small grants for community actions, research, and awareness-raising across Africa to restore culture, seed, and knowledge, and supports local solutions to global problems.
- EarthLore FoundationcoreEarthLore Foundation works alongside Gaia and the African Earth Jurisprudence Collective to support women to revive their critical roles as custodians of seed, food, and knowledge. EarthLore supports communities in South Africa and Zimbabwe to revitalise food sovereignty and implement Earth Jurisprudence practices.
- Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)coreUAWC operates the Local Seed Bank in Hebron, Palestine. Gaia has stood in solidarity with UAWC following the destruction of the seed bank in July 2025. The two organisations share a commitment to seed sovereignty and defending Earth custodians.
- Siama ProgrammecoreSiama Programme co-facilitates Gaia's three-year Trainings for Transformation alongside The Gaia Foundation, bringing wilderness immersion and experiential learning to African civil society leaders.
- Proteus Initiative / TowerlandcoreProteus Initiative, led by Allan Kaplan and Sue Davidoff, provides the Towerland wilderness venue in South Africa's Langeberg Mountains — home for regular Earth Jurisprudence training retreats. Towerland is a meeting point of fynbos, succulent karoo, and sub-tropical thicket biomes.
- Gaia Amazonas / COAMA ProgrammecoreGaia is a founding partner of Gaia Amazonas and the COAMA Programme (Right Livelihood Award, 1999) in Colombia, which has accompanied Indigenous peoples to legally reclaim rainforest territories, resulting in more than 26 million hectares of Colombian Amazon held by Indigenous communities.
- La Via CampesinaminorGaia joins La Via Campesina in condemning the destruction of the Palestinian seed bank and stands in solidarity with UAWC. Both organisations share a commitment to food sovereignty and peasant-led agriculture globally.
- We Feed The UKminorA storytelling campaign pairing photographers and poets with the UK's best custodians of soil, sea, and seed. Exhibiting across the UK until April 2025, it is an initiative that amplifies the work of small-scale farmers and food producers.
- Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN)minorGaia is actively involved with GARN and has participated in Rights of Nature Tribunals. Nnimmo Bassey, Gaia ally, sits on GARN's Executive Committee.
- Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA)minorAFSA issued a statement of solidarity with Palestine alongside Gaia following the destruction of the UAWC seed bank in Hebron.
- Exeter Seed BankminorExeter Seed Bank is twinned with UAWC's Local Seed Bank through a Twinning Project organised by the Landworkers' Alliance, and is collecting donations to support restoration of UAWC's seed bank.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Gaia Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Soil Association: UK-based charity promoting organic food, farming, and sustainable agriculture. Comparable to Gaia's Seed Sovereignty Programme in advocating agroecological practice and challenging industrial agriculture, though its scale and policy focus are larger.
- Seed Savers Exchange: US-based non-profit focused on conserving and promoting heirloom seeds and seed-saving practices. Directly comparable to Gaia's Seed Sovereignty UK & Ireland Programme in mission, methodology (grower networks, variety preservation), and grassroots training model.
- Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN): International network advancing Rights of Nature legal frameworks. Gaia is an active participant and ally (Nnimmo Bassey on GARN's Executive Committee); directly comparable in advancing Earth Jurisprudence philosophy.
- Gaia Amazonas: Colombian-Amazonian NGO and founding partner of Gaia's COAMA Programme. Directly comparable as a Gaia-affiliated organisation accompanying Indigenous communities to reclaim ancestral territories, resulting in 26M+ hectares held.
- GRAIN: International non-profit supporting small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled, biodiversity-based food systems. Comparable to Gaia in opposing corporate seed consolidation and supporting community seed sovereignty globally.
- African Biodiversity Network (ABN): Africa-wide network of organisations Gaia helped establish, focused on biodiversity, seed sovereignty, and traditional knowledge. Directly comparable as a Gaia-created peer network operating at the intersection of bio-cultural diversity and community resilience.
- Navdanya: India-based non-profit founded by Vandana Shiva (a Gaia ally and co-founder cohort member) focused on seed sovereignty, biodiversity conservation, and farmer rights. Directly comparable in seed sovereignty mission and global South smallholder focus.
Broad incumbents
- Friends of the Earth: Major UK environmental NGO with much broader scope. Comparable as a UK-registered environmental charity with grassroots and advocacy work, but operates at significantly greater scale and breadth than Gaia.
- Pesticide Action Network (PAN): International network of NGOs working on pesticide issues and agroecology. Comparable in challenging industrial agriculture and supporting alternatives, though its portfolio is broader (chemicals, health, trade) than Gaia's seed/Indigenous focus.
- La Via Campesina: International peasants' movement spanning 80+ countries. Gaia joins La Via Campesina in solidarity actions; comparable in defending small-scale farmers, seed sovereignty, and food sovereignty at a global scale far exceeding Gaia.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Gaia Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Gaia Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Gaia Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Gaia Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Gaia Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Gaia Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Gaia Foundation
What does The Gaia Foundation do?
The Gaia Foundation accompanies Indigenous Peoples and local communities to revive bio-cultural diversity, restore seed sovereignty, develop Earth-centred governance systems, and protect sacred lands from extractivism. Its core offerings centre on the three-year Trainings for Transformation course in Earth Jurisprudence, the African Earth Jurisprudence Collective, the Seed Sovereignty UK & Ireland Programme, and the Yes to Life No to Mining global network, supported by storytelling through film, animation, and photography campaigns.
Is The Gaia Foundation a public or private company?
The Gaia Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Gaia Foundation founded?
The Gaia Foundation was founded in 1987. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Gaia Foundation based?
The Gaia Foundation is headquartered in Hove, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Gaia Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and grants and Programme Funding.
Who are The Gaia Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Soil Association, Seed Savers Exchange, Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), Gaia Amazonas, GRAIN, African Biodiversity Network (ABN) and Navdanya. Broad incumbents are Friends of the Earth, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) and La Via Campesina.
Does The Gaia Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Gaia Foundation.
What industry is The Gaia Foundation in?
The Gaia Foundation's product category is Environmental Advocacy and Bio-cultural Diversity Conservation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAD, Forestry & Reforestation, with a secondary code of IMAMAJAM, Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services. Its NAICS code is 1153 and its SIC code is 800.