Seeds are a critical first step in climate action, bolstering local livelihoods, enhancing food security, and preserving biocultural diversity. The just-launched ‘Right Tree, Right Place: Seed Project’ is using them to transform African landscapes.

Nairobi, Kenya (12 March 2024) – An ambitious climate initiative harnessing the power of native tree seeds launched in Nairobi, Kenya, aiming to advance African land restoration goals. The “Right Tree, Right Place: Seed Project” will enhance the availability of high-quality native tree seeds across Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Burkina Faso.

The initiative seeks to bridge the gap between planting policy and execution, improve coordination between the public and private sectors in seed accessibility, and establish viable business models to promote the adoption of native tree seeds, all of which allow a unique combination of skills.

“We need high-quality seeds for the right species that are best suited to their purpose and environment. This is how we create good and resilient ecosystems – for food security, biodiversity, livelihoods and stabilizing our climate. By nurturing native species, we are not only safeguarding our environment but also partnering with local communities and fostering resilience. Investing in seed systems is to preserve our heritage, protect biodiversity, build a global commons that can ignite high-quality tree seed systems including the private sector and secure a sustainable future for generations to come,” said Éliane Ubalijoro, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF).

With a budget of €20 million, this landscape restoration endeavour will foster an environment conducive to native tree seed and seedling production and enhance supply-demand dynamics, through knowledge sharing, seed mobilization, and capacity development, for example. The project’s innovative force lies in addressing local and global challenges through tree planting for both current and predicted future climates. It builds upon local knowledge, science and cooperation between communities and the public and private sectors to make restoration scalable and sustainable.

African governments: Leading partners

The project will be implemented in Kenya, whose commitment under the Bonn Challenge and AFR100 initiatives is to restore 5,1 million hectares of native forest by 2030. “Something very important is starting here today with the launch of this project. With its very noble objectives, it brings up the issue of seeds and seedlings policy and systems, speaking to the needs of Kenya. It will be very impactful in many areas, creating jobs and value chains right from the seed to the tree, contributing to our environment through carbon sequestration and providing materials for different activities in the country. With the improvement of seeds, there is biodiversity improvement so we can bring back landscapes to what they are supposed to be,” said Gitonga Mugambi, Principal Secretary, State Department of Forestry, Government of Kenya.

In Ethiopia, the project is aligned with the Government’s commitment to build a Climate Resilient Green Economy by 2030 as well as to achieve the country’s pledge to restore 15 million hectares of native forest by 2030 under the Bonn Challenge and AFR100 initiatives. “Investing in forestry is investing beyond the forest sector. It is about sustainable agriculture, adaptation to climate change, sustainable energy, tourism and water. Our novel agenda goes beyond the sector to the country’s sustainable economic growth. We’ve learned from past initiatives that there are challenges in the quality of planting materials. With this initiative, we are filling that gap and focusing on planting the right tree, in the right place, for the right purpose,” said Motuma Tolera, Deputy Director General of Ethiopia Forestry Development.

The project supports Rwanda’s Bonn Challenge to restore 2 million hectares of land and their Vision 2050 to transition to a green economy. “Although the country is significantly greening its economy, restoration with the right trees in the right place and for the right purpose was overseen. Now, our restoration aim is to focus on the benefits of communities and ecosystems. We hope this project helps us change the course to restore forests with our native species and bring back their native functionalities and their ecological, cultural and economic benefits. The time is now, and this project is timely,” said Beatrice Cyiza, Director General, Environment and Climate Change Department of Rwanda.

The project will also contribute to Burkina Faso’s participation in the African Union Great Green Wall initiative as well as its pledge to restore 5 million hectares of land under AFR100 and the Bonn Challenge. Equally, it will work closely with Uganda in its aim to restore around 12% of its total land area (2.5 million hectares) under the AFR100 and the Bonn Challenge initiatives.

“Reforestation efforts to date have focused too narrowly on fast-growing exotic trees rather than planting biodiverse native species tailored to local ecological conditions. This undermines long-term sustainability. The Right Tree, Right Place: Seed Project tackles these interlinked challenges through a coordinated strategy. First, enabling policies and institutions for the native tree seed supply sector. Second, developing technical capacity all along the seed-to-seedling delivery chain. Thirdly, linking nurseries to meet restoration demand on deforested lands. And fourth, sharing knowledge to inspire similar initiatives at pan-African scale,” said Ramni Jamnadass, Senior Advisor of Biodiversity and Trees Genetic Resources at CIFOR-ICRAF and Principal Scientist of the project.

The Right Tree, Right Place: Seed Project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUV) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF, Unique land use GmbH, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) and the University of Copenhagen (UCPH).

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Project facts

• Implementation phase: 6 years, from 2024–2029
• Target groups: Farmers and tree growers; national tree seed centers, seed suppliers, nursery operators and cooperatives; publicly and privately funded tree planting programs; and government agencies, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations (CSO) and scientists involved in tree planting and Forest Landscape Restoration.
• Key barriers addressed: the lack of access to quality tree planting materials especially for native tree species, and limited knowledge on multiplication and delivery channels for native trees species.
• Key indicator targets: Cover 20 million hectares of land by 2045, conserve an extra 4 million tonnes of soil per year, achieve an extra 19 million tonnes of sequestered CO2 and increase in employment of over 80,000 jobs in harvesting additional tree products.

Why trees?

Trees and forests particularly contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):

• SDG 13 Climate Action (carbon storage and sequestration).
• SDG 15 Life on Land (harboring biodiversity).
• SDG 2 Zero Hunger and SDG 12 Responsible Production and Consumption (provision of food, fodder, fuelwood, and more)
• SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation (watershed protection)
• SDG 1 No Poverty (supporting rural livelihoods with forest products)

Additional quotes

“Seeds are a prerequisite for successful restoration activities, whether it’s in forests or agroforestry systems. This project will contribute to Africa’s commitment towards the Bonn Challenge and AFR100 to bring back 100 million hectares of lost forests and degraded farmlands.”

“Exotic species create ecological deserts that not only fail to contribute to the thriving of local biodiversity but are also a void in terms of biocultural preservation. The critical importance of this project is beyond nature-based solutions; it is also about preserving heritage.”

– Éliane Ubalijoro, Chief Executive Officer, the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF)

“We will make this project a success in Kenya. There might be challenges along the way, but we will go for partnerships, consultations and open discussions so everything goes right.”

“By greening Kenya, we address one of the major priorities of this country and even globally because when we restore our ecosystems, we also create livelihoods for our people. We are undertaking forestry legal reforms, trying to bring in the private sector and strengthening the value chain to grow trees sustainably and improve our economy.”

“We are improving our agroforestry, and biodiversity is a niche we want to address.”

– Gitonga Mugambi, Principal Secretary, State Department of Forestry, Government of Kenya

“Restoring with native tree species contributes to overcoming malnutrition and gender problems, alleviating poverty, developing value chain and promoting community and gender equality-based enterprises. Native tree species play a critical role in restoring ecosystem functionality and conserving threatened plant species in danger.”

“Availability and accessibility of seeds and planting materials for the native tree species has been a major challenge to embark on the efforts of restoring our landscape in the right way. We hope this project will help change the course and help restore most native species.”

– Beatrice Cyiza, Director General, Environment and Climate Change Department of Rwanda

“Because of its wide altitudinal variation, Ethiopia has diverse forest ecosystems which are very important in linking upper and downstream communities and sustaining livelihood. At the same time, most of our rivers emanating from these forest ecosystems cross boundaries, reaching neighboring countries. So, investing in forests is about sustainable water reaching beyond Ethiopia.”

– Motuma Tolera, Deputy Director General, Ethiopia Forestry Development

“This ambitious six-year initiative aims to enhance landscape restoration across sub-Saharan Africa by ensuring a sustainable supply of high-quality seeds and seedlings of diverse native tree species.”

“Africa faces alarming degradation of its landscapes. Over 50% of the continent’s land area is classified as degraded, costing billions in lost productivity annually and threatening livelihoods. Compounding this crisis is the rapid loss of biodiversity, including gene pools of African forests. As the State of the World’s Trees 2022 report published by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), with extinction due to deforestation and climate change. Africa is especially vulnerable from this loss of nature’s resilience.”

“By following our mantra ‘the right tree for the right place’, I am supremely confident this project will accelerate progress toward Bonn Challenge and AFR100 goals to bring back millions of hectares of lost forests and farmlands. The result will be more climate-resilient, biodiverse landscapes that enhance food and water security, create green jobs, sequester carbon and bolster national development.”

– Ramni Jamnadass, Senior Advisor of Biodiversity and Trees Genetic Resources at CIFOR-ICRAF and Principal Scientist of the project

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 NOTE TO EDITORS

• Find more information on the project page for the Right Tree, Right Place: Seed Project cifor-icraf.org/rtrp-seed
• Access the photos here.
• For more information, photos, access to the recording of the launch, and/or to arrange interviews, contact Kelly Quintero (k.quintero@cifor-icraf.org).

ABOUT CIFOR-ICRAF

The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) harnesses the power of trees, forests and agroforestry landscapes to provide solutions to biodiversity, climate change and food security.