Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today said the government has approved the National Agro Forestry Policy, 2014 that will help natural resource management and improve forest cover.
"The National Agro Forestry Policy - 2014 has been approved by the government," Javadekar said while replying to a question in Lok Sabha.
Elaborating on the policy, Javadekar said its salient features include encouraging and expanding tree plantation in complementary and integrated manner with crops and livestock to improve productivity, employment, income and livelihoods of rural households.
The policy envisages stabilisation of ecosystems and increasing forest cover to promote ecological stability. It also promotes resilient cropping and farming systems to minimise risk during extreme climate conditions, he said.
It aims to meet the raw material requirements of wood-based industries and reduce import of wood and wood products to save foreign exchange, supplement the availability of fuel-wood, fodder, non-timber forest produce and small timber for rural and tribal populations, the Minister said.
"Implementation of the National Agro Forestry Policy will help increase the tree cover and availability of fuel-wood, fodder and small timber.
"This will help reduce biotic pressure on forest and in its conservation. The farming community will benefit from it as it will improve the productivity, employment, income and livelihood opportunities for rural households, especially of the smallholder farmers," Javadekar said.
