National Agroforestry Policy

Agro forestry is defined as a land use system which integrates trees and shrubs on farmlands and rural landscapes to enhance productivity, profitability, diversity and ecosystem sustainability. It is a dynamic, ecologically based, natural resource management system which ensures efficient nutrient cycling, organic matter addition and improved vegetation cover. With the adoption of National Agroforestry Policy, India became the first country in the world to have a comprehensive agro forestry policy. The major objectives of the policy include-

• Encourage and expand tree plantation in complementarity and integrated manner with crops and livestock to improve productivity, employment, income and livelihoods of rural households, especially the marginal farmers.
• Protect and stabilize ecosystems and promote resilient cropping and farming systems to minimize the risk during extreme climatic events.
• Meet the raw material requirements of wood based industries and reduce import of wood and wood products to save foreign exchange.
• Supplement the availability of agro-forestry products (AFPs) such as fuel-wood, fodder, non-timber forest produce etc.
• Strengthen research in agro-forestry and create a massive people’s movement to minimize pressure on existing forests.

Salient Features of the Policy

• Establishment of National Level Iinstitutions: The policy aims to establish a Mission/Board to implement the national agroforestry policy. This is due to the fact that institutional set up will offer the platform for the multiple-stakeholders to coordinate and identify the priorities and strategies so that agroforestry gets equal treatment with other agricultural enterprises.
• Nodal Department in States: The policy provides that the state governments shall identify a nodal department for implementing the agroforestry mission/board. At the district level, Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) may be the nodal agency.
• Research and Capacity Building: Research & Development (R&D) shall be the responsibility of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Expertise of the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE) also needs to be capitalised in this endeavour.
• Simplification of Regulatory Mechanism: The policy objectives takes into consideration the Forest Rights Act (FRA), Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act 1996 (PESA) etc. Decentralized institutions of local governance, such as the PRI, Gram Sabhas, Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs), Eco Development Committees or other similar people’s institutions have to play a greater role in the regulatory mechanisms.
• Institutional Credit and Insurance Coverage: Dedicated Farmers Producers Organization (FPO) needs to be promoted to take up agroforestry at higher level.
• Improving Farmers’ Access to Quality Planting Material: The policy encourages the participation of private sector in production and development of supply chain of quality materials as private sector can play a vital role in augmenting supplies of quality planting materials.
• Strengthening Market Access: The marketing infrastructure needs to be strengthened with more private sector participation.