On August 3, 2026, Ethiopia planted 805.3 million seedlings in 12 hours with 26.2 million participants; years later, survival data will reveal whether that extraordinary national effort actually transformed degraded landscapes

Ethiopia also says that more than 48 billion seedlings have been planted since the Green Legacy Initiative began. These figures demonstrate the remarkable logistical capacity behind the program, but they also create a much more important question: how many of those seedlings will survive long enough to become functioning forests, agroforestry systems, or productive trees?