Several countries across the world have reported a lack of enough high-quality seeds to meet their reforestation targets, according to The Second Report on the State of the World's Forest Genetic Resources by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The document was released during the 20th meeting of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture on March 26, 2025 in Rome.
At the meeting, the commission is also discussing strategies to improve sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation and forest financing.
Even though 70 per cent of countries have tree-seed programmes, most are not strong enough to meet the demand, the report showed. Tree seed programmes are systems for collecting, producing, storing and distributing tree seeds for restorationand conservation.
More than 3.1 billion plants are grown globally each year, but this is still not enough. The number of seedlings planted varies widely between countries, with some planting fewer than a million seedlings a year, while others up to 15 billion.
The difference is influenced by factors such as land availability, reforestation goals and government investment. However, the report highlighted that even large-scale planting efforts often fail due to a shortage of high quality seeds.
Worldwide, there are about 83,000 seed stands covering 7 million hectares and 5,800 seed orchards covering 39,000 hectares at present. But despite these resources, there is still a seed shortage.
Many countries depend on wild seed collection or imports, but these methods are unreliable. Very few countries have proper systems to test and trade seeds internationally, making it hard to get enough good-quality seeds.
A big problem is that many seeds are of low quality. Many available seeds are not strong enough to survive climate change, pests and diseases.
Another problem is funding. Many countries, both rich and poor, do not have enough money or experts to run effective tree-seed programmes, the authors of the report highlighted. Without urgent investment, it will be difficult to grow forests and protect biodiversity.
Climate change is making things worse. Higher temperatures and unpredictable rainfall are affecting tree growth. Trees under stress produce fewer seeds.
Some countries say that warmer temperatures may help seeds mature in certain areas, but most have not studied this fully. Changing flowering patterns are also making seed collection harder, and many countries are struggling to replace old seed orchards.
Tree-breeding programmes, which help improve seed quality, are also behind. Only 1 percent of tree species are included in breeding programmes, the report showed, and most have not progressed beyond the first stage. As much as 75 per cent of surveyed countries have tree-breeding programmes, but they're not moving fast enough, according to the findings.
Most of these programmes are run by governments (70 per cent), followed by private companies (44 per cent) and public-private partnerships (30 per cent). Asia leads in tree breeding with 185 species, followed by Europe (112), Latin America and the Caribbean (108) and Africa (86).
Some countries are using advanced genetic technologies, but their use is still low. Hybrid breeding is common, with 34 hybrids reported worldwide.
Many countries do not have enough knowledge or resources to use modern breeding techniques, the report said. Without stronger breeding programmes, seed quality will decline, making forests weaker and less able to survive.
The FAO called for urgent action to improve tree seed programmes. More funding is needed for research, better seed storage and training new experts.
Countries must improve seed orchards and create better ways to distribute seeds, the experts advocated. Digital tools and genetic research can help find the best seeds. Indigenous knowledge should also be used to help with seed conservation, they said.