353 Million Trees in a Day – Details of the Grand Experiment

In 2019, Ethiopia conducted a massive environmental campaign, planting 353,633,660 seedlings in a single day. The Green Legacy Initiative, launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, aimed to plant four billion trees during the rainy season. The record was not registered in the Guinness Book of Records, and independent verification was impossible. A 2025 study showed a survival rate of only 39.8%, casting doubt on the long-term benefits of the campaign.

In 2019, Ethiopia carried out an unprecedented environmental campaign, planting 353,633,660 seedlings in one day. The Green Legacy Initiative, launched by the government led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, set an ambitious goal of planting four billion trees during the rainy season. On the day of the campaign, government offices and schools suspended work so that employees and students could participate in planting. Minister of Innovation and Technology Getahun Mekuria announced the record result, which was more than five times higher than India's previous achievement (66 million trees in 2017). However, the claimed figures remained unofficial: the Guinness Book of Records confirmed that no application was submitted, and independent verification was impossible. A 2025 study in the Gubalafto region showed that the survival rate of trees over five years was only about 39.8%. Despite scientists' skepticism, the program led to an increase in the number of nurseries from 40,000 to 121,000. The article notes that the main problem remains the survival of seedlings, not their planting.