Trees for Rural Communities™

Why Trees?

Trees provide locally accessible and appropriate nutrients to the community, thus forming an essential strategy to eliminate hunger (Pinstrup-Andersen, 2009). They deliver ecosystem services for crop production, provide better and more nutritionally-balanced diets and have greater control over food inputs the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) mentions in its Forests, Trees and Landscapes for Food Security and Nutrition A Global Assessment Report. Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) has identified Ecosystem Restoration as one of its 19 priority thematic areas. This includes an ecologically inclusive approach to developmental procedures. The Society for Ecological Restoration says that development is incomplete without the inclusion of the ecology and promotion of sustainable development. Plantation of mixed species balances the nutrient content of the soil, increases the nitrogen-fixing capability of the soil, produces root exudates that advantage another, protects from pests and disease, etc. Also, the provision of  NTFPs, forms an important source of income for the community.

Tree Species

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Jamun (Syzygium cumini), Peepal (Ficus religiosa) and Indian Tulip (Thespesia populnea).

Social Impact

The project intends to provide local employment opportunities to the local population, particularly tribals and women. The restoration activities of the plantation area including the plantation work, weeding and hoeing of the saplings planted will provide an additional source of income to the local people. The project will also improve the access of local communities to the collection of fuelwood and minor forest produces, thereby contributing to improving their household income. The NTFPs from the forest will provide both income and food to the rural communities. The communities living at the periphery of the forests are heavily dependent on the forest for most of their needs, which include food security. The planted trees being mixed species and many of them producing fruits will cater to this need of the community.
The increased vegetation in the region will help not just in controlling soil erosion but improve moisture conservation, add organic humus to the soil and enhance the water table in the region. The plantation of mixed species will further enrich the soil nutrients enhancing the agricultural produce.