Project Verifications
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Climate and environment
- Annual emission reduction of 700,000 tonnes CO2 by diversifying more than 500,000 hectares of farmland.
- Improved air quality, soil quality and biodiversity through the afforestation of degraded farmland.
- Greater climate resilience through ecosystem improvement.
Social and economic
- Generation of additional income from carbon credits for the farmers.
- Access to education: provide members with trainings on planting trees, above and below ground biomass, soil organic carbon, remote sensing (use of GPS and GIS) and
monitoring of forest dynamics. - Women empowerment in local self help groups (SHGs).
- Promotion of farmer-industry partnerships with
buy-back arrangements.
The agroforestry project in India is designed to facilitate climate change mitigation and adaptation, maintain soil health and create alternative livelihoods. By diversification of 500,000 hectares of existing farmland the project captures more than 700,000 tons of carbon emission annually on average and builds a sustainable farming model for generations to come.
Background
Over the past decades many Indian states have developed to become agriculture intensive states with traditional rice-wheat cropping systems. Even though this system has led towards the food security of the country, overexploitation of the fields and severe water usage have left the lands depleted of nutrients and water. With unhealthy soils India’s food security is again at risk. Diversification from this system is needed in order to halt overexploitation and give space for insects, water and nutrients, providing the right conditions for a healthy soil to develop.
About the project
The agroforestry project gives a new impulse to agriculture by diversification of the land. Different tree species traditionally grow in the various agroclimatic zones of Northern India. Local farmers will plant a mix of native and non-native trees in between the agricultural land plots. The CO2 is captured by an increase in biomass above and below the ground, and soil organic carbon. This will not only result in CO2 being absorbed from the atmosphere but also in a healthier soil. Moreover, the farmer is awarded through carbon revenue and higher yields. 3,287 villages are located in the project area. In order to reach complete consensus and to demonstrate active collaboration with all parties, local self help groups (SHGs) are created. They comprise of representative members of the village as well as forest staff, to ensure successful plantation and fair sharing of the benefits derived from these plantation activities. Moreover, through the formation of SHGs – where predominantly women will take part in – the project provides financial security on the road to gender equality and equal opportunity for all members of the community. This project can serve as a role model helping India to move towards climate-smart agricultural practices with greater climate resilience for the coming decades.
Collaboration
Anthesis, through Climate Neutral Group, works with the project by supporting, financing and making possible the reduction of greenhouse gasses and various initiatives in the social, environmental and economic scope. The project is VCS certified. VCS certification guarantees that the effects, monitoring, and auditing of emission-reducing projects are done properly. In addition, Climate Neutral Group is founding member of ICROA, which monitors our working methods annually, guarantees reliable climate compensation.
