The World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) in collaboration with the Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research (EEFRI) of the ministry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change (MEFCC) organized a launching and inception meeting for supporting the Ethiopian tree seed sector.
The meeting was officially opened by the MEFCC representative Dr. Minassie. Dr. Marianne Johansen, the climate counsellor at the Norwegian Embassy in Addis Ababa, also made an opening remark. "Availability of high quality seeds is necessary if Ethiopia are to reach the CRGE targets for forests. The project is therefore an important step forward for the Ethiopia-Norway climate partnership."
During the meeting Dr. Wubalem, the Director General of EEFRI, said that one of the main challenges for forest restoration in Ethiopia is poor quality seeds.
In conclusion, to achieve the Ethiopian ambitious restoration targets, availability of large quantities of high quality seeds are crucial. The project is supported by Norway's Climate and Forest Initiative through the Norwegian Embassy with USD 8 million in 2017-20.