The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, headquartered in Rome, Italy, has granted recognition to Ethiopia.

The organization awarded Ethiopia under the category of “Sustainable Forest Management and Utilization.”

Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa received the award on behalf of the Ethiopian government from the Director General of FAO in Rome.

Previously, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had also honored Ethiopia by presenting the FAO Agricola Medal  to Prime Minister   Abiy Ahmed in recognition of his commitment to food security, balanced food supply, and accelerated wheat production.

Minister Selamawit on the occasion extended heartfelt congratulations to the entire team of FAO for their 80th anniversary. 

“We are very deeply grateful that Ethiopia's green legacy initiative, launched in 2019 by our prime minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, is being recognized internationally today as best practice in sustainable forest development and protection,” the minister noted.

What began as a very bold vision has now grown into a national movement, the minister said pointing out that planting more than 48 billion seedlings and increasing the country’s forest coverage is a story about people coming together.

“It's a story about taking roots” she emphasized  inviting all to visit Ethiopia and to walk those forests and see for themselves what people coming together can do and what hope can actually bring into action.