Government issues model rules for felling of trees on agricultural land to promote Agroforestry

The Government of India's recent promulgation of model rules governing the felling of trees on agricultural land marks a significant milestone in the nation's agroforestry policy framework. This regulatory intervention is designed not only to promote the adoption of agroforestry practices at scale but also to strategically align with broader national objectives encompassing agricultural sustainability, rural livelihood enhancement, climate change mitigation, and industrial development. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the newly introduced rules, emphasizing their implications for small and marginal farmers, wood-based industries, and small to medium scale enterprises (SMEs), while contextualizing their environmental and socio-economic impacts.

- DR RAKESH VERMA

Introduction

Agroforestry, the integration of trees within agricultural landscapes, offers multifarious benefits, including diversified income sources, improved ecological resilience, and enhanced carbon sequestration. Recognizing these advantages, the Government of India has crafted a regulatory framework to streamline tree felling on agricultural land, thus enabling farmers to participate more actively in agroforestry production systems without cumbersome administrative burdens. These model rules represent a deliberate governmental effort to operationalize agroforestry as a pivotal component of sustainable rural development and national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Policy Context and Regulatory Innovations

The model rules, issued under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), primarily aim to simplify the procedural requirements related to tree harvesting on farmlands. Central to this regulatory reconfiguration is the empowerment of the State Level Committee, originally constituted under the Wood-Based Industries (Establishment and Regulation) Guidelines, 2016. Its expanded composition now includes revenue and agriculture department officials, enhancing its capacity to undertake integrated oversight of agroforestry initiatives. This multisectoral governance mechanism ensures coordination between agricultural policy implementation, land tenure verification, and commercial forestry regulation.