Ethiopia Launches 7.5 Billion Tree Planting Campaign as Part of Green Legacy Initiative
June 25, 2017
Ethiopia has initiated the seventh edition of its renowned Green Legacy Campaign, aiming to plant an ambitious 7.5 billion tree seedlings during this year’s rainy season. Under the theme “Renewal through Planting,” the campaign was officially launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, alongside Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima and other dignitaries, at the Gulele Riverside Project in Addis Ababa.
Since its launch in 2011, the Green Legacy Initiative has become a vital element of Ethiopia’s national development efforts, bringing together millions to fight climate change, rehabilitate degraded environments, and promote food security. To date, the program has facilitated the planting of over 40 billion trees nationwide, with this year’s goal bringing the total close to 47.5 billion.
Officials highlighted the initiative’s wider benefits, including job creation, increased production of fruits and vegetables, and the promotion of biodiversity through the planting of 2.7 billion native seedlings. Prime Minister Abiy described the campaign as a people-driven movement that supports environmental sustainability, fosters national unity, and builds resilience for the future.
As the rainy season arrives, Ethiopians come together once again to reforest their homeland, seed by seed. Each sapling symbolizes a collective commitment to environmental renewal, national unity, and the shared vision of a brighter, more sustainable future.
