Ethiopia has been forced to increase its agricultural production dramatically to feed a rapidly growing population over the past two decades. This has led to massive deforestation and now only small, scattered fragments of primary forests remain intact in most parts of the country, mainly around Ethiopian Orthodox Churches. While these Church Forests are considered sacred, even they are not immune from overgrazing, encroachment and wood cutting for fuel. Moreover, studies have shown that many of them are degenerating because of a lack of genetic diversity.