How India’s National Agroforestry Policy Helps Tackle Land Degradation and More

About one-third of the world’s land is moderately to severely degraded, expanding approximately 1 million square kilometers yearly. Left unmitigated, rampant land degradation can threaten the global food supplies, increase carbon emissions, and trigger mass migration. In this light, India adopts a national agroforestry policy as a part of the effort to tackle land degradation and more.

Land Degradation in India

Land degradation is an ongoing issue in India. Based on data from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India faced severe land degradation, affecting 29.32% (96.40 million hectares) of the total geographical area in 2011-2013. The number increased by 1.87 million hectares (0.57%) compared with 2003-2005.

Widespread land degradation occurs due to the rapid growth of human and livestock populations, land conversion, deforestation, poor irrigation practices, and unsustainable farming practices on marginal lands. Agroforestry, the practice of integrating trees with crops and livestock, serves as a potential land rehabilitation method, while also supporting economic and social development. In 2014, the government of India adopted the National Agroforestry Policy to strengthen the implementation of agroforestry in the country for environmental, economic, and social gain.

The National Agroforestry Policy

India’s National Agroforestry Policy aims to increase tree cover and improve smallholder farmers’ livelihood through agroforestry, among others. Agroforestry refers to a practice of integrating woody perennials with crops and livestock in certain places or arrangement. The trees planted in the agroforestry practice provide multiple ecosystem services that can help improve soil productivity, reduce soil erosion, and increase water availability. At the same time, the method can also diversify farmers’ yield, from food to timber, thus improving their income.

The policy integrates agroforestry into agricultural strategies and is supported by coordinating institutions. Local governments are encouraged to streamline forestry regulations, identify priority tree species, and ensure secure land tenure for smallholders. Additionally, public-private partnerships help manage unproductive land, supported by quality seedlings and national-level data collection.

India’s National Agroforestry Policy is cited in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s report as an innovative approach to boost agroforestry implementation, with 88.7 million m³ increase in the total volume of trees outside forests a year after the policy implementation. Furthermore, agroforestry is also practiced on over 28.4 million hectares of land in India and supplies around 65% of timber and almost 50% of woodfuel supplies in the country.

A Multifaceted Approach

India aims to achieve the land degradation neutral status by 2030. The National Agroforestry Policy offers substantial support by expanding tree coverage, which can enable soil rehabilitation. Furthermore, the adoption of agroforestry as a multifaceted practice also yields other benefits, especially in terms of enhancing smallholder farmers’ capacity and income. Ultimately, focusing on integrated solutions that can address multiple issues are crucial as we are facing multiple intertwined crises.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma & Kresentia Madina