Agroforestry and Private Forestry for a Carbon-Neutral Economy

A special purpose vehicle in the form of an Agroforestry Board is proposed for the promotion of agroforestry plantations to meet the raw material demand of the wood-based industry as well as to achieve carbon neutrality. Two Agroforestry Action Plans are proposed wherein plantations are to be raised in 20 Indian States for a period of 7 years. Under Action Plan A, 140,000 ha of plantation are estimated to capture 32.85 million tons of CO₂e, while in Action Plan B, 1,000,000 ha of plantations are estimated to capture 234.69 million tons of CO₂e. This strategy of agroforestry plantations appears to be the solution for meeting the entire demand for quality wood on a sustainable basis for the wood-based industry as well as for the transition to carbon neutrality. Fast wood forestry or high-yielding, short-rotation agroforestry plantations, in addition to restoring marginal lands to high sustainable productivity, will also create opportunities for significant value addition through local processing of plantation wood and save large amounts of scarce foreign exchange used to import wood and wood-based products. The agroforestry plantations will provide employment opportunities, sequester carbon, and create considerable economic value through wood. Therefore, agroforestry can bring a brown revolution in India and lead to a win-win situation.