Studies have found that the integration of trees with crops or livestock enhances the carbon economy by storing five to ten times more carbon than conventional farming. Yet, traditional farmers have been wary of adopting agroforestry due to various factors such as lack of awareness, concerns about financial returns, and high initial investment costs.

After all, why should farmers incur such high capital costs and bring forests to their farms?

Not only is agroforestry a sustainable model of agriculture that enhances biodiversity, improves soil health, and sequesters carbon, but it also has the potential to boost farmers’ incomes through long-term increases in land productivity. Moreover, harvesting high-yielding tree varieties, such as timber, can provide a sustained cash inflow to farmers.

Its real potential can only be realised through incentives and relaxed regulatory norms (in terms of harvesting trees grown on agricultural lands).

Why Agroforestry Stands Out

Unlike conventional monoculture farming and traditional forestry, agroforestry stands out for its “3D farming system” model, wherein it brings the forest to the farms, blending traditional agricultural practices with forest cover. 

It envisages a blended agricultural model in which a variety of trees are introduced onto agricultural land, integrating with crops and livestock. This is akin to a well-diversified stock portfolio, combining short-term, medium-term, and long-term assets to maximise returns. 

Some of the most popular tree species in agroforestry include poplar, eucalyptus, and teak, besides versatile trees such as neem, and fruit-bearing trees, including mango and tamarind.

National Policies

Stressing the need for a global framework and national-level policies to promote agroforestry at the grassroots level, Ravi Prabhu, Senior Advisor, CIFOR-ICRAF (Center for International Forestry Research), and Madan Prasad Pariyar, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Government of Nepal, highlighted the growing challenges in the adoption of agroforestry.

"We are talking about a potential that has not been realised. Agroforestry can not only enhance the livelihoods of the farmers, but also significantly reduce the temperature by two or three units," Prabhu told The Secretariat.

On the integration of technology to encourage agroforestry, Prabhu says, "With the technology that is now available, we can identify any trees, either individually or in clumps; not only can technology be used to count the trees, but also find how much the carbon footprint. Once we work on these technologies, we will understand the contribution of trees to the carbon market."

National Agroforestry Policy

The National Agroforestry Policy (NAP) was launched in 2014 by the Union government during the World Congress on Agroforestry, held in Delhi.

The comprehensive policy framework, which is the first of its kind in the world, was aimed at maximising agricultural productivity and, thereby, mitigating climate change, through the integration of trees, crops, and livestock on agricultural lands. Through the policy, tree-felling regulations were relaxed in several States, providing an impetus to farmers to adopt agroforestry into their agricultural practices.

Agroforestry In India

Based on reports, agroforestry in India constitutes about 8.65% of the country's total geographical area. "The NAP 2014 is being constantly considered for revision," highlights Prabhu, emphasising the role of private participation in boosting agroforestry.

Various blended models and strategies, including the PPP [public-private partnership] model, could be adopted to encourage the growing of trees on agricultural lands

— Ravi Prabhu, Senior Advisor, CIFOR-ICRAF

Meanwhile, highlighting the thrust given by the Nepal government to agroforestry through similar strategies, Pariyar called for joint initiatives and national-level programmes for knowledge- and resource-sharing between Nepal and India.

The importance of agroforestry was not realised until recently. The best way to enhance the forest cover is through agroforestry. In terms of climate impact, agroforestry will act as a carbon sink. It will be one of the most effective mitigation measures from a climate perspective

— Madan Prasad Pariyar, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Government of Nepal

Earlier, it was difficult for farmers in Nepal to harvest trees that were grown on their own lands due to strict regulatory measures.

However, following the launch of the National Agroforestry Policy (2019) of Nepal, 28 different varieties of trees were identified, and the farmers gained permission to fell these trees for their own profit.

Ecological Deficit

Driven by urbanisation, population growth, and rapid consumption, several countries have been witnessing peculiar ecological deficit patterns, including Nepal and India. At a time when declining biocapacity is exacerbated by rising carbon footprint and climate impact, the imperative for agroforestry adoption has gained significant traction, with implementation models from South Asian countries proving to be effective in reducing the carbon footprint.

Citing instances of how certain agricultural practices lead to ecological deficit, Prabhu says, "Take the case of Punjab. They are pumping water with arsenic. What they are doing is that they are borrowing from their future. Unless there is a transition towards a more sustainable agricultural practice, the situation will not improve."