The Assam Government and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) today launched the “Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI)” Programme in Assam, to rapidly expand the forest cover, improve the resilience of farming systems and augment farmers’ revenue.
The Environment and Forest Minister of Assam – Chandra Mohan Patowary launched the programme, at a function organized by Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry in collaboration with Assam Agroforestry Development Board at Assam Administrative Staff College.
Addressing the event, Patowary asserted that “Agroforestry is closely related with Assamese civilization. This programme will assist Assamese citizens in adopting the age-old technique of agroforestry in a way that combines productivity and profitability with environmental stewardship.”
He further added that the state government is striving to increase forest cover in the state from 36% to 38%.
Launched Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) Programme in Assam at a function organised by Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry in collaboration with Assam Agroforestry Development Board at Assam Administrative Staff College. @assamforest @USAID pic.twitter.com/d259RQ3tXu
— Chandra Mohan Patowary (@cmpatowary) October 18, 2022
The ‘Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI)’ is a five-year joint initiative by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India. With the united force of eight consortium partners led by CIFOR-ICRAF, the initiative is committed to expand the tree coverage outside of India’s forest lands for the benefit of ecosystem.
According to a press release issued by the US Consulate General Kolkata, this programme is expected to enhance carbon sequestration, support local communities, strengthen the climate resilience of agriculture and support the global climate change mitigation and adaptation goals.
Citing the significance of TOFI, the USAID’s Deputy Mission Director in India – Karen Klimowski said “As the climate crisis intensifies, it is ever more important that we protect India’s forests and the communities who depend on them. The United States is proud to support the Trees Outside Forests in India programme, which builds upon decades of US-India cooperation on forestry and climate-smart agriculture. India’s progress on these issues can provide models for the world.”
“The northeastern state of Assam has placed a high priority on expanding tree cover outside forest areas, as demonstrated in its State Action Plan on Climate Change and recent establishment of the Assam Agroforestry Development Board. Therefore, TOFI will leverage India’s private sector to promote and scale tree-based enterprises and the sale of carbon credits, helping to create jobs, boost incomes, and help families in Assam overcome the economic impacts of the pandemic,” – the release further reads.
The Additional Chief Secretary of Environment and Forest Department – Ravi Shankar Prasad stated that the concerned programme will also help in fulfilling several national goals, international commitments and add momentum to the “Lifestyle for Environment” movement launched by the Prime Minister at COP26.
“This programme will allocate up to 25 million USD in seven states – Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh, to rapidly expand tree coverage outside of traditional forests by 2.8 million hectares, contributing to India’s Nationally Determined Contribution target of creating an additional “carbon sink” of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030.
It will also use innovative financing models and leverage India’s private sector to promote tree-based enterprises, helping to create sustainable markets and improve rural economies and livelihoods, with the potential to benefit more than 13 million people.
