The present document is an introduction to the use of documented tree seed sources in Ethiopia. The document is intended to support the tree seed centres in Ethiopia in their efforts to encourage the collection from identified, described, and registered tree seed sources, instead of collection from randomly selected seed sources that may be of inferior quality.

There are four regional tree seed centres (RTSCs) - in Tigray (Mekelle), Amhara (Bahir Dar), Oromia (Dima), and in Sidama Region (Hawassa) - as well as a seed centre, Central Ethiopia Centre (EFD-CEC ) - under Ethiopian Forest Development (EFD).

In March 2025, PATSPO II and the tree seed centres held a workshop to discuss a model for aligning seed collection by farmer groups to collect from identified and described seed sources and established Seedling Seed Orchards (SSOs) and Breeding Seed Orchards (BSOs). The present document has incorporated the results from the discussion at the workshop (see appendix 2 for a summary of the workshop).