POTENTIAL OF AGROFORESTRY IN SUSTAINING WOOD BASED INDUSTRIES AND SECURING FARMER'S LIVELIHOOD IN INDIA (original) (raw)

14th IFSDAA International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture for Food Security under Climate Change, Goettingen, Germany, 2023

Abstract

Agroforestry (AF) is a land use management system which helps to conserve and protect natural resources and its benefits add up to substantial improvement of economic and resource sustainability of agriculture. Agroforestry, based on ecological principles, is of paramount importance in the areas where crop production is very insecure due to variable and harsh climatic conditions. Agroforestry can mitigate the impact and consequences of these environmental limiting factors. In India, area under agroforestry is estimated to be 25.31 million ha or 8.2% of the total reporting geographical area of the country which can further be increased up to a considerable level. AF in India is practiced in 13.5 million ha which is a means to reduce rural unemployment, with timber production on farms generating 450 employment days per ha per year. India was the first country to promulgate the National Agroforestry Policy in 2014. Agroforestry imparts ameliorating and mitigating effects of harsh and erratic climatic conditions and poor soils, raising soil fertility build-up and enhance symbiotic activities that help crop growth, sustainable production of food and feed, fuel, timber, fibre, tools, draught power, medicines, and several other products of day-today utilization on farms. In addition, it permits higher security and sustainability during droughts and famines that are not infrequent in dry regions. Despite the many promises and benefits that agroforestry holds under appropriate conditions, there are also limitations arising from biophysical, socio-economic and socio-political conditions such as land ownership and control, usage rights and the like. In India, natural forest contributes just 6.4% of timber demand (3.17 million m3) and about 44.34 million m3 is harvested from Trees outside Forests (TOF). Demand for furniture has been raising 12 to 15% annually. Similarly, demand of paper has been raising 8% annually. Annual demand of wood-based panel products is 8 million cum against production of 3.4 million m3. India is meeting its wood demand through import of timber and allied products which is roughly 18.01 million m3. Thus, there is significant gap between demand and supply of wood in the country and import is bound to increase in coming years if concrete action is not taken to address the issue. As a report, 50% of timber demand, 65% fuelwood demand, 70-80% demand for plywood, 60% of raw material for paper pulp and 9-11% of fodder demand is met from AF. AF practices have demonstrated that production could be safely enhanced to more than 30 m3/ha/year by selecting suitable tree-crop combination. Thus, agroforestry is a viable option for meeting the raw material demand of wood-based industries and to sustain them in long run.

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