About Ethiopian Tree Seed Sources Registry (TSSR)
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Deforestation and land degradation in Ethiopia are eroding the capacity of forests and landscapes to sustain food, wood, feed, and water security, while also diminishing their ability to provide vital environmental services. In response, Ethiopia has embarked on ambitious afforestation, reforestation, and landscape restoration programs, with a national pledge to restore 22 million hectares of degraded forest landscapes and expand forest cover to 30% by 2030. Achieving these targets depends on a strong and functional tree seed system—one that links seed users to reliable sources, enforces quality standards, monitors seed collection, maps seed sources, and advances seed research capacity.
Tree seed sources in Ethiopia are derived from natural forests, plantation forests, and trees on farms. These sources are managed by a wide range of actors, including government institutions (research, forestry, and natural resource management organizations), religious institutions such as the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and private entities such as smallholder farmers. At present, the Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD) oversees more than 350 hectares of planted tree seed sources.
Within EFD, the Tree Seed Research Project under the Plantation Research Directorate plays a pivotal role in strengthening the seed system. Its mandate includes supporting the establishment of seed sources, procuring high-quality seeds from genetically superior and well-documented sources, and generating technologies and scientific knowledge to enhance the national seed system.
Beyond EFD, four regional tree seed centers—located in Sebata, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, and Mekele—alongside several private seed suppliers, operate across the country and collectively produce several tons of tree seed annually.
To consolidate and expand access, the national Tree Seed Source Registry was established. This system provides users with documented and registered seed sources administered by institutions such as the Ethiopian Forestry Development, Amhara Forest Enterprise, Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise, and the Hawassa Tree Seed Center. The Provision of Adequate Tree Seed Portfolio (PATSPO) project has been instrumental in building this system—supporting the registry portal, documenting seed sources, establishing seed orchards, strengthening laboratories, and developing a complementary tree seed network portal.
Currently, the Tree Seed Source Registry portal hosts information on more than 600 seed sources. Users can access detailed reports on species, geographic distribution, ownership and management, seed production potential, structural characteristics of seed sources, and other relevant data—providing a critical foundation for Ethiopia’s forestry development and restoration ambitions.
Regards,
Abayneh