Banjul, Gambia — In a highlight of the third day of the 25th African Forestry and Wildlife Commission (AFWC25) meeting on December 3, 2025, Tanzania’s Forest Services Agency (TFS) Commissioner for Conservation, Prof. Dos Santos Silayo, held in-depth talks with Dr. Anders Pedersen, a renowned tree genetics expert and co-founder of the Tanzania Tree Seed Agency (TTSA).

The discussions, held on the sidelines of the conference, focused on the future availability of high-quality tree seeds, which are critical for climate change mitigation, commercial forestry expansion, and increased production of industrial raw materials.

Reflecting on the agency’s evolution, Prof. Silayo said TTSA, established in the 1990s with technical guidance from experts like Dr. Pedersen, has been further strengthened under TFS’s Tree Seed Production Unit. This unit ensures the scientific verification and availability of seeds for both domestic and international use.

“High-quality seeds are the foundation of resilient forests. Without reliable sources, we cannot establish forests that withstand climate change and disease. The forests of tomorrow start with good seeds today, and these are available through TFS,” Prof. Silayo said, urging stakeholders and investors to source superior seeds from the agency.

Dr. Pedersen, who has advised Tanzania and East Africa’s seed sector for many years, said Africa is uniquely positioned to lead global forest regeneration efforts if it invests fully in innovation, research, and improved seed sources.

“When we founded TTSA, we identified a major gap in the availability of quality seeds. Today, demand has grown further, but the capacity to deliver solutions exists, particularly through institutions like TFS,” he said.

The dialogue underscored the growing importance of investing in tree seed science, which experts describe as the backbone of future forests capable of meeting challenges in land restoration, industrial timber production, and rising international demand.