Agroforestry ( UPSC Prelims)

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News Context

The government released the Model Rules 2025 concerning the felling of trees on agricultural land to encourage agroforestry.

About Model Rules

• The Existing State Level Committee (SLC), formed under the ‘Wood-Based Industries (Establishment & Regulation) Guidelines, 2016’, is responsible for overseeing the regulations.
    o It will also provide guidance to states on enhancing agroforestry by simplifying the rules for tree felling and transit.
 • Applicants must register in the National Timber Management System with details of land ownership.
 • A Felling Permit is granted for agricultural lands containing more than 10 trees.
 • A No Objection Certificate is issued for lands with 10 or fewer trees.

Agroforestry in India

Agroforestry is described as a land use system that incorporates trees and shrubs into farmlands and rural landscapes to boost productivity, profitability, diversity, and ecosystem sustainability (National Agroforestry Policy 2014). In India, agroforestry plantations cover approximately 8% of the country's geographical area.
 Importance: It plays a crucial role in addressing climate change by moderating the microclimate, facilitating carbon sequestration, improving productivity, enhancing soil fertility and conservation, and optimizing the use of arable land.
 India’s Initiatives for Agroforestry:
      ○ The introduction of the National Agroforestry Policy in 2014.
      ○ The Sub-Mission on Agroforestry under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.
      ○ An agroforestry component under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.
      ○ India's commitment to the Bonn Challenge, aiming to restore 13 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2020.

Agroferestry Systems in India

Agrisilviculture: Integrates crops with tree crops
 Agri-horticulture: Merges fruit trees with crops
 Agri-silvi-horticulture: Blends trees, fruit trees, and crops
 Agri-silvi-pasture: Combines trees with cattle on land
 Horti-olericulture: Merges fruit trees and vegetables
 Silvi-pasture: Integrates livestock, forage, and trees
 Live fence: Shrubs and trees forming boundaries
 Silvi or Horti-sericulture: Combines trees or fruit trees with sericulture
 Silvi-olericulture: Integrates trees and vegetables
 Horti-pasture: Merges fruit trees with pasture or animals