Agroforestry can be a solution to supplying India with timber and fuel wood without further deforestation or reliance on expensive wood imports.

An article in the Business Standard outlines how already 65 per cent of the country’s timber and almost half of its fuel wood is sourced from farm forestry. But the National Research Centre for Agroforestry (NRCAF) says farm forestry can make the country nearly self-sufficient in timber.

Agroforestry can also provide green fodder and supply fruits, oilseeds and other useful commodities important for nutrition and farm incomes.

There are environmental benefits too from agroforestry, including the ability of trees to sequester carbon dioxide, conserve biodiversity and enhance soil health

India has been at the forefront of developing research capabilities in agroforestry, and for this reason it is fitting that New Delhi should host the World Congress on Agroforestry in February 2014, jointly hosted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the World Agroforestry Centre.

The article points out that there are still many challenges facing agroforestry in India that impede the sector’s growth. These include a lack of uniformity in policies and regulations relating to felling and transporting farm-grown timber and other products in different states. Agroforestry ventures are not covered under agricultural insurance schemes or entitled to marketing support, and cannot access the soft bank loans available for crop farming.

A national agroforestry policy is currently being developed whish should address many of these issues and hopefully “optimize exploitation of the massive socio-economic and environmental potential of agroforestry”.

Read the full story: Surinder Sud: Green shoots in farm forestry