Ethiopia has once again launched its ambitious one-day tree planting challenge, aiming to plant 700 million seedlings within 12 hours the highest single-day target since the inception of the Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) in 2019.
Part of the annual target of 7.5 billion seedlings, this campaign underscores the nation's escalating commitment to climate action. But experts say the initiative now extends far beyond environmental restoration . It is emerging as a transformative force for climate resilience, socio-economic development, and national recovery.
Initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), the GLI has seen over 40 billion seedlings planted by 2024, and is now recognized as a multidimensional strategy addressing land degradation, job creation, food security and economic diversification.
In an interview with the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), Haramaya University environmental researcher and lecturer Tesemma Toru(PhD) emphasized the program's urgency and depth. "Afforestation is not optional for Ethiopia, it is essential," he said, noting that nearly half of Ethiopia's 54 million hectares of land is degraded, with over 70 percent vulnerable to desertification.
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According to Tesemma, the Green Legacy addresses these environmental crises by regulating climate, restoring soil fertility, preserving water resources, and sequestering carbon. Beyond ecology, it also uplifts rural livelihoods by enabling income generation through agro-forestry products such as fruit and honey.
Thanks to these efforts, Ethiopia's forest coverage has grown from 17.2% in 2018 to 23.6% by 2023, moving steadily toward the national goal of 30% by 2030.
The Ethiopian Environment Authority (EEA) reported in 2023 that this progress has been supported by over 120,000 seedling stations nationwide. These centers are not only technical hubs but engines of employment. According to Tesemma, more than 760,000 jobs have been created, and the number could surpass 1.2 million if each station employs at least 10 people.
"Green Legacy is not just about planting trees; it is about planting livelihoods," he stated.
The impact is also being felt in Ethiopia's agricultural economy, the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute Agricultural Economics Director Tadelle Mamo(PhD) said.
He noted that over 50% of the planted seedlings are fruit-bearing trees, such as avocado, mango, papaya, and coffee strategically chosen for both ecological and economic impact.
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Many of these trees planted over the past four years have now matured and are contributing to Ethiopia's growing horticulture and export market. Coffee exports, for instance, have reached 480,000 tons, generating billions of USD in revenue partly sourced from trees planted through the GLI.
Moreover, the initiative has helped restore an estimated 208 million cubic meters of previously eroded land, out of an estimated 1.9 billion cubic meters in need of restoration. Experts are calling for continued government support, including allocating 0.5 to 1 percent of the national budget to sustain this momentum.
As Ethiopia pushes ahead with today's 700 million seedling challenge, the Green Legacy is no longer just an environmental campaign, it has become a cornerstone of the country's climate strategy, a model of integrated development, and a national movement toward resilience and renewal.
