EthioTrees Agroforestry

30,031 haunder active restoration

33M+native trees planted since 2016

60%+of carbon-credit revenue returned to participating communities

Ethiopia

Abstract light gray map focusing on the Middle East region with a centered camera crosshair marker.

Fields of seedlings and young plants laid out in long rectangular plots, with straw mats over some beds and several people tending the nursery under a sparse tree canopy.

Group of people sits on dry ground under a tree, gathered around a large sheet of paper with drawings; a man in a white robe points and writes while others watch.

Communities at the heart of restoring nature

Across northern Ethiopia, decades of deforestation, fuel collection and land degradation have damaged woodland ecosystems. The effects go beyond the loss of trees, affecting soils, water availability, biodiversity and local livelihoods.

EthioTrees puts communities at the heart of restoring these landscapes. Through woodland restoration, agroforestry and long-term benefit sharing, local people help rebuild healthy ecosystems while creating a more resilient future for the communities that depend on them.

People work together in a sunlit field, tossing straw and scattering sparks as one person swings a tool, another holds a pitchfork, hillside in the background.

How carbon finance supports community-led restoration

Restoring degraded land takes time, investment and the long-term commitment of local communities. Carbon finance helps make that possible by supporting woodland restoration, agroforestry, community training, nurseries, monitoring, and the planning and land management needed for landscapes to recover over time.

More than 60% of carbon-credit revenue is returned directly to participating communities. This gives local people a financial stake in successful restoration and helps finance community priorities, livelihoods and long-term economic opportunities alongside climate and nature benefits.

EthioTrees is designed around community ownership, with local people sharing directly in the value created through restoration. For buyers seeking deep, long-term community impact alongside nature-based removals, few projects create a stronger connection between climate finance and generational opportunity.

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From identifying the challenge to creating impact

Dusty terraced valley with scattered green trees, rolling hills, and distant hazy mountains under a clear blue sky.

Challenge

Decades of deforestation and pressure from agriculture and fuel collection have damaged woodland ecosystems, reducing biodiversity, degrading soils and affecting water availability. For local communities, the loss of healthy forests also means fewer natural resources and fewer opportunities to generate income from the landscape.

Solution

EthioTrees puts local communities at the center of restoring degraded woodlands. Community groups protect restoration areas, support natural regeneration, plant native trees and introduce soil and water conservation measures. Agroforestry and sustainable income activities, including honey, frankincense, coffee and fruit production, create additional ways for people to benefit as the landscape recovers, while carbon finance supports the training, planning and long-term stewardship the restoration requires.

Impact

Across more than 30,000 hectares, EthioTrees is helping restore woodland ecosystems, increase vegetation cover, support biodiversity and store carbon in trees and soils. Communities benefit through new income opportunities, investments in locally selected priorities and stronger long-term stewardship of the landscape, connecting restoration with a more resilient future for the people who care for it.

Challenge: Decades of deforestation and pressure from agriculture and fuel collection have damaged woodland ecosystems, reducing biodiversity, degrading soils and affecting water availability. For local communities, the loss of healthy forests also means fewer natural resources and fewer opportunities to generate income from the landscape.
Solution: EthioTrees puts local communities at the center of restoring degraded woodlands. Community groups protect restoration areas, support natural regeneration, plant native trees and introduce soil and water conservation measures. Agroforestry and sustainable income activities, including honey, frankincense, coffee and fruit production, create additional ways for people to benefit as the landscape recovers, while carbon finance supports the training, planning and long-term stewardship the restoration requires.
Impact: Across more than 30,000 hectares, EthioTrees is helping restore woodland ecosystems, increase vegetation cover, support biodiversity and store carbon in trees and soils. Communities benefit through new income opportunities, investments in locally selected priorities and stronger long-term stewardship of the landscape, connecting restoration with a more resilient future for the people who care for it.

More than trees. Lasting community impact.

Restoration creates the greatest impact when communities share in its success. EthioTrees connects landscape recovery with income, water, education and stronger local livelihoods.

30,031 hectares under active restoration

Restoring degraded woodlands and agroforestry systems.

145 community groups

Connecting community-led restoration with 58,647 participating households.

15+ water reservoirs built

Supporting groundwater recharge and dry-season irrigation.

30 schools supported

Benefiting more than 3,092 children in participating communities.

Outdoor garden path with scattered trees and shrubs, yellow beehive boxes on benches, dry earth, distant hills under a blue sky with light clouds.

A person wearing a green headscarf and plaid shirt gathers honey from a beehive on a tree, holding a woven basket while standing in a sunny, arid landscape.

People gather under a large shade tree with a stone seating area, while a herd of goats or cattle stands nearby in a dry, open landscape under a blue sky.

Group of children and adults gather around a stone wall in a dusty rural setting, carrying yellow jerrycans and tending two donkeys with containers. Trees shade the scene.

EthioTrees has grown into a proven model for community-led restoration at scale.

Miro Jacob, Co-founder, Climate Lab

Rows of young, leafy shrubs in black bags line mulched soil in a sunlit field, with a green hillside and trees in the background.

Contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

EthioTrees contributes to six SDGs by connecting community-led restoration with climate action, water security, biodiversity recovery and more diverse rural livelihoods.

Clusters of small green and red berries on a woody branch among dark green leaves, with soft focus foreground and a natural outdoor setting.

SDG 1: No Poverty

Creating income opportunities through honey, frankincense, coffee, fruit and other forest products while supporting more resilient rural livelihoods.

Underwater scene showing a teal blue ocean with air bubbles near the surface, small particles suspended in the water, and light reflections above.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Restoring watersheds and supporting water reservoirs that recharge groundwater and provide water for dry-season irrigation.

Dense close-up of dark green glossy leaves with prominent veins, some new light-green shoots, creating a rich, shadowed foliage texture.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Creating income opportunities through restoration, agroforestry, nurseries and sustainable forest-product value chains.

Soft orange and pink sunset sky with hazy clouds near the horizon.

SDG 13: Climate Action

Removing carbon from the atmosphere through large-scale woodland restoration, natural regeneration and agroforestry.

Aerial view of a dense forest with a mix of green and yellow foliage, including a few lighter, bare trees scattered among the verdant canopy.

SDG 15: Life on Land

Restoring degraded woodland ecosystems, increasing vegetation cover and supporting the recovery of plant diversity. Internal project material reports a 41% increase in flora species richness since 2016.

A person bends over in a field tending young plants, with a colorful patterned cloth wrapped around their back; tropical trees and other workers blur in the background.

SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals

Bringing together community groups, local implementers, technical experts and climate finance to support long-term restoration.

Two women in colorful dresses crouch and work among circular raised beds of green leafy plants in a rural garden, with wooden stakes and trees in the background.

Closer to the communities restoring the landscape

EthioTrees is delivered through a community-led model that connects local stewardship with experienced project development, recognized certification, and ongoing quality oversight. EthioTrees Ethiopia Association implements the project with participating community groups, while Climate Lab provides project design and development expertise.

Climate Impact Partners combines close partner engagement with technical due diligence and ongoing quality assessment. Our review considers carbon integrity, community benefit sharing, biodiversity outcomes, governance, and the project’s resilience within a challenging operating context. This gives buyers a balanced view of both the project’s impact and its risks.

For buyers, this provides confidence that community benefits are embedded in the project model, project risks are actively assessed, and climate and nature outcomes are supported by recognized certification and ongoing oversight.

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Project details

Implementer: EthioTrees Ethiopia Association
Project design and development: Climate Lab
Commercial partner and quality oversight: Climate Impact Partners
Registry and standard: Plan Vivo
Methodology: Plan Vivo PM001
Community model: Participating community groups protect restoration areas, support natural regeneration, plant native trees, and help manage the restored landscape
Benefit sharing: More than 60% of carbon-credit revenue returned directly to participating communities
CIP Quality Assurance: Pass
Carbon integrity: 4/5
Project ESG: 4/5
Independent ratings: Sylvera A and BeZero BBB, subject to confirmation that both remain current and are approved for website use
Validation and verification body: MUTU International