SOCIAL FORESTRY
The term was first used by the National Commission on Agriculture, Government of India, in 1976. The management and development of forests with afforestation on barren lands to promote environmental benefits and rural development are referred to as social forestry.
Types of Social Forestry
- Agroforestry: Involves the growth of trees and agriculture in the same setting to provide landowners with agricultural and tree products on a commercial basis. The objective is to create positive interactions between the two systems, either separately or fully integrated within a single enterprise.
- Farm Forestry: The management of trees for a specific purpose within a farming context. Benefits include improving the environment, maintaining soil and water, earning additional income, and providing shelter and pasture for animals.
- Community Forestry: The government supplies seedlings and fertilizers to communities, which are responsible for nurturing and protecting the plants on communal land.
- Extension Forestry: Involves planting trees on roadsides, canals, and railways, and on wastelands to extend forest boundaries. This practice creates wood lots in village commons, government wastelands, and panchayat lands.
Benefits
- Moisture conservation: Trees draw water from lower soil layers through long taproots and check the evaporation of water.
- Soil conservation: Trees help prevent soil erosion by wind and water and maintain landscapes to combat desertification.
- Natural habitat conservation: Trees provide habitats for birds and animals, conserving indigenous habitats.
- Better Land Use: Social forestry balances land use, checks soil erosion, reclaims marginal lands, prevents waterlogging, and integrates forestry, agriculture, and animal husbandry.
- Employment: Social forestry creates job opportunities, especially during lean agricultural seasons, stabilizing the incomes of vulnerable rural populations.
- Meeting Basic Rural Needs: It fulfills basic needs known as the “five Fs”—food, fuel, fodder, fertilizer (green manure), and fiber.
- Clean Air Quality: Trees absorb harmful gases and release oxygen, helping reduce air pollution, particularly in urban areas.
- Reduce Energy Consumption: Trees provide a cooling effect, reducing the need for air conditioning and energy consumption.
- Carbon Reduction: Trees play a crucial role in combating global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide during growth.
- Biodiversity Increase: Well-grown trees provide habitats for animals, plants, and insects, serving as sources of food and shelter.
- Noise pollution reduction: Trees reflect and absorb sound energy, reducing noise pollution. The natural noise made by tree branches and leaves swaying in the wind helps mask man-made sounds, further reducing noise.
Challenges
- Small Size of Holdings and Land Fragmentation: The average agricultural landholding size in India is about 2 hectares, making agroforestry impractical for small and marginal farmers.
- Insufficient Research, Extension, and Capacity Building: Research findings on agroforestry, although available in public and private domains, do not consistently reach farmers due to a lack of a dedicated extension system.
- Unmindful Selection of Tree Species: Agroforestry practices are not always region-specific. Species like eucalyptus, commonly used, are water-intensive, reduce water availability for other plants, and can be toxic, invasive, and nutrient-depleting.
- Lack of Financial Support: Urban forestry development and research work receive inadequate financial backing.
- Lack of Insurance, Harvesting, and Marketing Support: Agroforestry produce is not typically covered by agricultural insurance or entitled to marketing support.
- Lack of Uniformity among State Laws: Inconsistent policies and regulations concerning the felling and transport of farm-grown timber across different states hinder intra-state timber trade.
- Low Private Sector Participation: Although the private sector provides market access for agroforestry products, its involvement is limited to specific areas such as cardamom in the Northeast, home gardens in Kerala, and pulp and paper in Tamil Nadu.
Government Efforts at Improving Social and Agroforestry
- National Forest Policy 1988: Aims to increase forest cover to 33% from the existing levels of under 25%.
- National Agricultural Policy 2000: Encourages farmers to adopt farm/agroforestry for higher income through technology, extension, and credit support while addressing constraints to agroforestry development.
- National Bamboo Mission (NBM), National Horticulture Mission (NHM), and National Biofuel Policy: Integrate forestry components on farmlands.
- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD): Provides financial and institutional banking support for social forestry, farm forestry, and afforestation projects.
- National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) under AYUSH: Emphasizes integrating medicinal plants and trees with agricultural crops.
- The National Afforestation and Eco-development Board (NAEB): Promotes agroforestry practices on farms and wastelands.
- National Mission for a Green India (GIM): Aims to increase forest and tree cover by 5 million hectares and improve the quality of existing forest and non-forest land over 10 years.
Way Forward
- Nobel concept: Social forestry is a noble concept where the community plays a significant role in implementation.
- Enormous benefits: When implemented with an appropriate institutional framework, social forestry can successfully benefit both the environment and the community.
- Traditional institutions: These serve as examples of state-people partnerships, demonstrating success in managing forest resources through social forestry.
- Replicate traditional institutions: Facing challenges from unrealistic, target-driven policies, these institutions risk losing their democratic function. Replicating successful models in other areas rather than interfering with existing ones is recommended.