A national workshop titled “Agroforestry for Resilient Rainfed Landscapes” was held in New Delhi on June 25, 2025. The event brought together leading experts and government officials to develop a roadmap for strengthening agroforestry in India’s rainfed regions.
The workshop was jointly organized by the National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), the Natural Resource Management (NRM) Division of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), and the Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture (RRA) Network. The day-long event took place at the National Agricultural Science Centre (NASC) Complex.
The workshop was inaugurated in the presence of Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. He was joined by Dr. P.K. Meherda, CEO of NRAA, along with several leading experts in agriculture and natural resource management, including Dr. Susama Sudhishri, Dr. A.K. Mishra, Dr. Pankaj K. Shah, Dr. S.D. Singh, and Dr. Sabyasachi Das.
Discussions focused on how agroforestry can enhance the sustainability and resilience of rainfed ecosystems. Experts explored various agroforestry models, shared field-level experiences, and examined key issues such as policy reforms, convergence of government schemes, industry linkages, and financial access for farmers. The sessions underscored the potential of agroforestry to improve livelihoods, restore degraded lands, and support climate adaptation.
During the workshop, several strategic directions were identified to scale up agroforestry interventions across India’s rainfed landscapes. These include unlocking carbon trading potential to help farmers generate additional income, promoting holistic ecosystem-based planning beyond tree plantations, and establishing a dedicated working group to institutionalise convergence among stakeholders. The need to reform restrictive laws and policies through localised, ecologically-informed frameworks was also emphasised.
Participants further highlighted the importance of bottom-up planning approaches to achieve land degradation neutrality and ensure long-term sustainability.
Experts agreed that the way forward will require a combination of policy support, institutional reform, and ground-level innovations. The event concluded with a call for collaborative action among government bodies, civil society, and private players to mainstream agroforestry as a tool for building resilient, climate-smart rainfed farming systems.
