On July 29, 2019, Ethiopia demonstrated that collective action can change the fate of a country. In just 12 hours, millions of people planted more than 350 million trees.
And, in 2025, Ethiopia once again surprised the world by breaking its own historical record.
A few months ago, the country reached a new milestone by planting 714.7 million trees in a single day, as confirmed by Girma Amente, Minister of Agriculture.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described this achievement as “the largest global planting effort in a single day”.
The figure represents more than double what was achieved in 2019, all actions that are part of the “Green Legacy” initiative.
Thus, this new mark consolidates Ethiopia as a world leader in massive reforestation.
With its reforestation record, Ethiopia shows that the Green Legacy initiative was not an isolated event, but a sustained commitment to environmental recovery.
The first record that exceeded all expectations
In 2019, Ahmed’s government set the goal of reforesting their country, launching “Green Legacy”.
That day, citizens of Ethiopia left their jobs, grabbed shovels, and united in a common purpose: to plant trees to restore the environmental balance of their territory.
The goal was clear: to tackle deforestation and climate change through massive reforestation.
From dawn to dusk, volunteers, students, farmers, and officials from across the country participated in the planting.
Images showed entire fields covered with people planting, row after row.
By the end of the day, the government’s official count was 353,633,660 trees planted.
This figure far exceeded the previous record set by India, which in 2016 had planted about 66 million in 24 hours.
Although this achievement could have been recorded in the Guinness book, the organizers did not officially register it, as confirmed by Jessica Dawes, spokesperson for the organization, to the BBC.
Although this year’s new record of over 700 million trees may overshadow the original achievement, it remains a key milestone in the environmental history of this African nation.
The environmental urgency that motivated the initiative
For decades, Ethiopia lost a large part of its forests due to the indiscriminate logging of trees and agricultural expansion.
At the beginning of the 20th century, more than 35% of Ethiopia’s territory was covered by trees.
By the year 2000, forest cover had fallen to just 4%, according to estimates by the United Nations.
The “Green Legacy” program seeks to reverse this drastic trend.
The results have been remarkable. According to an official report released in 2024, the tree cover in Ethiopia increased from 17.2% in 2019 to 23.6% in 2023. This increase represents a significant achievement in the restoration of degraded landscapes.
More than 40 billion trees planted
Since its launch in 2019, the program has exceeded all goals. By 2024, more than 40 billion trees had been planted in the country, according to official government data.
The Green Legacy initiative involved more than 20 million citizens during the first four years. The program focuses not only on quantity but also on species diversity.
In Ethiopia, native species like Olea Africana, Cordia Africana, and Hagenia Abyssinica are prioritized. Fruit trees like avocado, mango, guava, and banana are also planted to contribute to food security.
Economic and social impact
The initiative in Ethiopia has created more than 767,000 green jobs, mainly for women and young people. The number of nurseries in the country increased from less than 40,000 in 2019 to more than 120,000 in 2022.
According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, tree planting in Ethiopia has restored approximately 208 million cubic meters of eroded land.
The program also boosts the economy through fruit production. In 2022, more than 500 million trees with commercial value, such as avocados, mangoes, apples, and papayas, were planted, according to official information.
International scientific support
Researchers have identified reforestation as an effective tool to mitigate climate change. According to research published in the journal Science, if one billion hectares of forest are reforested, two-thirds of all emissions released into the atmosphere since the 19th century could be removed.
This is equivalent to approximately 300 gigatons of carbon captured thanks to the trees. A study by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT revealed that in Ethiopia, planting a single tree has led to the natural regeneration of more than ten local species.
The FAO recognized the success of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiative in 2025 with an award in the category of Forest Management and Sustainable Use. The Ethiopian example has inspired African countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Djibouti to implement similar programs.
In December 2024, the parliament of Ethiopia unanimously ratified a proclamation establishing the Special Fund for the Green Legacy Initiative, institutionalizing funding for tree planting and long-term restoration of degraded lands.
