Assessment of Factors Affecting for Adoption of Agroforestry by Local Communities of Vaishali, Bihar, India

Research Article

Austin Environ Sci. 2023; 8(3): 1099.

Assessment of Factors Affecting for Adoption of Agroforestry by Local Communities of Vaishali, Bihar, India

Rajeev Kumar1*; Pushpa Singh2; Saroja Kumar Barik3; Jyoti Pandey4

1Department of Environmental Science, Magadh University, Bodhgaya, Bihar, India

2Department of Botany, A.N. College Patna, Patliputra University, Bihar, India

3Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Patna, Bihar, India

4Department of Botany, A.N. College Patna, Patliputra University, Bihar, India

*Corresponding author: Rajeev Kumar Research Scholar, Department of Environmental Science, Magadh University, Bodhgaya, Bihar, Pin Code – 824234, India. Email: bariksaroj@yahoo.co.in

Received: September 16, 2023 Accepted: October 06, 2023Published: October 13, 2023

Abstract

Agroforestry is considered one way to avoid deforestation to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and mitigate climate change. Deforestation is a serious problem in many developing countries, mainly due to subsistence and commercial agriculture. The present study complemented the secondary data related to Agroforestry schemes adoption with household surveys and key informant interviews to obtain evidence from farmers and promoters of the schemes on the factors affecting adoption the of agroforestry by the local community of Vaishali, Bihar. Based on data analysis and parameter estimates value, the three most important factors as Socio-Economic Level (Livestock, Income Level); External Unforeseen Factors (Protection from Wild Animals, Insects, Climate), and Economics of Business (Market Availability) impacting the Adoption of Agro-forestry Schemes (AAS) in Vaishali, Bihar.

Keywords: Agroforestry; Factors; Vaishali; Bihar

Introduction

Agroforestry is considered one way to avoid deforestation to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and mitigate Climate Change [1,6,10]. Deforestation is a serious problem in many developing countries, mainly due to subsistence and commercial agriculture [3,11]. About 17% of global CO2 emissions come from deforestation [4], significantly contributing to Climate Change (Van der Werf et al. 2009) [4]. Therefore, it is important to adopt agroforestry practices to address the continuous depletion of forest resources and improve the livelihood of forest communities. Among them, agroforestry is a land use system that integrates pasture, trees, and animals, allowing ecological and economic interactions. The environmental and productive benefits of agroforestry are well known from the recovery of degraded land and water to adaptation to Climate Change; however, the rate of adoption of such production strategies is still low. The large body of literature on farming technology adoption, summarized in Patnaik et al. 1984 and Knowler and Bradshaw, 2007 gives an overview of the complexity of the adoption process, which is influenced by social, economic, financial, and natural factors. Farmers have practiced agroforestry since ancient times. Agroforestry focuses on the wide range of trees grown on farms and other rural areas. Among these are fertilizer trees for land regeneration, soil health, and food security; fruit trees for nutrition; fodder trees for livestock; timber and energy trees for shelter and fuel wood; medicinal trees to cure diseases and trees for minor products viz. gums, resins or latex products. Many of these trees are multipurpose, providing a range of benefits. According to the 2001 report of the Forest Survey of India, the forest cover in the country is 675,538 sq. km, constituting 20.55% of its total geographical area. The National Agriculture Policy (2000) emphasized the role of agroforestry for efficient nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, and organic matter addition and for improving drainage and underlining the need for diversification by promoting integrated and holistic development of rainfed areas on a watershed basis through the involvement of the community to augment biomass production through agroforestry and farm forestry. The Task Force on Greening India for Livelihood Security and Sustainable Development of Planning Commission (2001) has also recommended that for sustainable agriculture, agroforestry may be introduced over an area of 14 million ha out of 46 m ha irrigated areas that are degrading due to soil erosion, water-logging, and salinization. For integrated and holistic development of rainfed areas, agroforestry is to be practiced over an area of 14 million ha out of 96 m ha. Besides ensuring ecological and economic development, this will provide livelihood support to about 350 million people. The practice of agroforestry can help in achieving these targets. Therefore, in the quest to optimize productivity, the multitier system came into existence. The gap of the demand and supply of forest produce in India is widening and forests are unable to fulfill the demand. Agroforestry can play an important role in filling this gap and conservation of natural resources. Agroforestry combines agriculture and forestry technologies to create more integrated, diverse, productive, profitable, healthy, and sustainable land use systems. The most important agroforestry practices are windbreaks, riparian forest buffers, alley cropping, silvipasture, and forest farming. Agroforestry is a set of practices that provide strong economic and conservation incentives for landowner adoption. Incorporated into watersheds and landscapes, agroforestry practices help to attain community/society goals for more diverse, healthy, and sustainable land-use systems.

Study Area

The study area was chosen on the basis of agroforestry project implementing district, Vaishali, Bihar. It is located in 25°41'N 85°13'E and 25.68°N 85.22°E. The district has a geographical area of 2,036 square kilometers with a population of 3,495,021. of which male and female were 1,844,535 and 1,650,486 respectively as per Census 2011. This district has 3 sub-divisions but is administratively divided into 16 blocks and comprises of 2 forest ranges namely Hajipur and Lalganj.

Materials and Methods

The primary data has been collected from beneficiaries using a structured questionnaire technique. Data for each respondent has been further verified by visiting their farmland and physically inspecting it. The data has been collected using 16 factors (Identified using FGD) classified under 6 criteria namely, Socioeconomic Level, Support from the Forest Department (Government Support), Economics of Business (sustainability in Income Generation), Land, External Unforeseen Factors, Beneficiaries Attitude for Adoption of Scheme. The 16 factors, covered under the study using a structured questionnaire are listed as, 1. Education Level of the Beneficiary; 2. Social Class; 3. Income Level; 4. Livestock (in Number); 5. Size of the land (Marginal, Small, Medium, or Large Farmer); 6. Level of training imparted (Duration and total number of instances); 7. Occupation (Farming/Non-Farming); 8. Irrigation facility; 9. Types of species planted and their Mortality Status (Poplar ETP/Other);10. Market availability; 11.Protection of sapling (Protection Guard/ Unprotected); 12.Extent of wild animals; 13.Quality of samplings (Condition, as received from Nursery); 14.Input cost (Other than procurement); 15.Subsidy from Government (Release of payment);16. Soil fertility levels (Fertile/Non-fertile).