Since 2019, tree planting in Ethiopia has grown into a nationwide effort, with communities taking part in restoring and caring for their local environments.
More than 56 billion seedlings were planted between 2019 and 2026. In 2026, the scale of that effort reached a new level: 805.3 million seedlings were planted across the country in just 12 hours, in what was recorded as a world record.
The numbers tell one part of the story. The other is what happens after planting. Seedlings need to be watered, protected and cared for until they take root. Farmers, students, local communities and institutions have all taken part in this work, turning tree planting into an ongoing responsibility rather than a single-day activity.
The effort is also changing the landscape. Ethiopia’s forest cover increased from 17.2% in 2019 to 23.6% in 2023, according to the national Forest Cover Report: a gain of more than six percentage points in four years.
Planting has increasingly included fruit-bearing species such as avocado, mango, papaya, apple and coffee, linking environmental restoration with food production and livelihoods.
56+ billion seedlings planted and counting. It is climate action measured not only in seedlings planted, but in landscapes restored and people working together to care for them.
