Social Action for Rural Development (SARDA) promotes agroforestry systems that integrate trees with agricultural crops to create sustainable, climate-resilient, and diversified farming systems. Agroforestry plays a vital role in improving soil fertility, conserving biodiversity, enhancing carbon sequestration, and strengthening farmers’ livelihoods.

SARDA is currently implementing the Swift Green Carbon Agroforestry Project, a plantation-based climate initiative supported by Equilibrium Solutions Private Limited, aimed at enhancing carbon sequestration and promoting sustainable land use practices. The project is being implemented in Balaghat District, Madhya Pradesh and Simdega District, Jharkhand, where farmers are encouraged to adopt tree-based agroforestry models that strengthen environmental sustainability, enhance biodiversity, and create additional income opportunities for rural households.

In addition to agroforestry promotion, SARDA is engaged in the third-party evaluation of plantation and natural resource management assets under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) programme across multiple states, including Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Rajasthan. These evaluations help assess the impact, survival rate, and ecological benefits of plantation initiatives implemented by forest departments.

SARDA also promotes community-based forest and biodiversity management initiatives, including the formation of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) and the promotion of Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) plantation and value chain development in forest-dependent communities.

Through programmes such as Tribal Development Fund (TDF-WADI), Farmer Service Provider Federations (FSPF), and other livelihood initiatives supported by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), SARDA promotes tree-based farming models in Simdega District and Gumla District of Jharkhand, Jalgaon District of Maharashtra, and Balaghat District of Madhya Pradesh.

Under these initiatives, farmers are encouraged to plant timber species, fruit trees, fodder trees, and medicinal plants alongside agricultural crops, creating diversified farming systems that enhance both environmental sustainability and income generation. Agroforestry not only provides additional livelihood opportunities for rural households but also reduces pressure on natural forests and contributes to long-term climate resilience and ecological restoration.