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INTRODUCTION
ndia`s unique topography, terrain, climate and vegetation, brings out natural diversity
that cannot be witnessed anywhere else in the world. One such variation is also present
in ndia`s wild-forested regions. Forests in ndia have always been one of the richest
resources. ndian forests are ancient in nature and composition. ndia was once covered
with dense forests. There is enough evidence to show this. The fact that they have
existed for very long time is proved from the ancient texts all of which have some
mention of the forests. The people honored the forests and a large number of religious
ceremonies centered on trees and plants. The Agni Purana, written about 4000 years
ago, stated that man should protect trees to have material gains and religious blessings.
Around 2500 years ago, Gautama Buddha preached that man should plant a tree every
five years. Sacred groves were marked around the temples where certain rules and
regulations applied.
Originally, the word was understood to mean "a large tract of land consisting of woody
grounds, pastures and whole villages where the king had the right to chase. Later with
the decline of the feudal system forest came to mean natural woodland. Today, it
means not only the natural growth but also the planted trees, shrubs, and climbers
growth as in the countries with advanced forestry. n ndia, forest is regarded as airy
land, including the vegetation growing on it, that has been declared under a legal
enactment.
Forests are one of the most important biomes on earth. They provide a wide range of
"ecosystem services, from watershed protection and carbon absorption to renewable
energy and timber production.
mportant reservoirs of plant and animal biodiversity in locations ranging from China to
Latin America and many places in between, forests provide key components of the
environmental, social and economic well-being of societies around the world.
Forests (and uncultivated trees) provide important sources of income to many rural
people in the forest zone. Forest products such as fuel wood are gathered and traded at
local and regional markets and are generally destined for urban consumers. Forests
also provide the raw materials for artisan and processing activities. Forest products are
traded in both local and urban markets, and are sold to meet both rural and urban
consumer needs. Forests are not a mere handmaid of agriculture but an inexhaustible
reserve for providing man and industries with a number of raw materials. They
constitute a perennial economy unlike minerals whose exploitation is a rubber economy.
They have been regarded as green gold and the greatest renewable natural resource in
contrast to minerals which, once mined, do not replenish themselves.
Since time immemorial, forests have been an integral part of human ecosystem. Forests
are nature's greatest bounty to mankind and play a very significant role in the economic
development of a country. Man's attitude towards forest has been dynamic while the
prehistoric man was concerned with food and shelter and regarded forests as a natural
bounty, today forests are considered as one of the important sources of natural
economy.

STATUS
Forests of ndia are varied in composition and character. The area is not large enough
looking to the needs of the growing population. n ndia, forests meet nearly 40% of the
energy needs of the country, of which more than 80% is utilized in the rural areas, and
about 30% of the fodder needs of the cattle population. Forest products also play a
very important role in the rural and tribal economy, as many of the non-wood
forest products (NWFPs) provide sustenance to the rural poor and its accounts
for some 70% of forest products and for some 40% of state forest revenues. For
landless families and marginal farmers, forest related activities often represent the
primary source of income.
ndia's forests are unable to meet its many needs. There is reported a current round
wood supply gap (excluding fuel wood) of some 26 million m3: The gap is expected to
remain in future also. t is estimated that about 270 million tonnes of fuel wood, 280
million tonnes of fodder, over 12 million m3 of timber and countless non-wood
forest products are removed from the forest annually. At a conservative level of pricing
(Rs. 500 per tonne of fuel/fodder) the value of these commodities will
amount to over Rs. 3,00,000 million per annum.
According to FS (1999), in about 53% of natural forests, natural
regeneration is either absent or inadequate. This situation is because of overgrazing
in forests beyond their carrying capacity, which has troublesome
implications for future growth.
n the early 1990`s about 17 percent of ndia`s land was regarded as forestland.
However, because more than 50 percent of this land was barren or brush land, the area
under productive forest was actually less than 35 million hectares, or approximately 10
percent of the country`s land area. The growing population`s high demand for forest
resources continued the destruction and degradation of forests through the 1980s,
taking a heavy toll on the soil. Many ndian forests in the mid-1990s are found in high-
rainfall, high-altitude regions, areas to which access is difficult. About 20 percent of total
forestland is in Madhya Pradesh; other states with significant forests are Orissa,
Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh (each with about 9 percent of the national total);
Arunachal Pradesh (7 percent); and Uttar Pradesh (6 percent). The variety of forest
vegetation is large: there are 600 species of hardwoods, sal and teak being the principal
economic species.
The forests are a major source of income to the farmers. They provide variety of
products useful for human consumption. They may be classified into two categories, i.e.
major produce and minor produce. Major produce comprises timber and fuel wood,
while minor produce included a host of small products of great use, all of which together
have a major bearing on the national economy. Forestry of late received due recognition
that it has component of poverty reduction through providing immediate goods and
services for consumption, cash income and serves as safety net. n forestry NTFPs
(Non-Timber Forest Products) appeared to have the potential for poverty reduction and
sustainable livelihood. There is a high level of actual use of NTFPs by the rural poor.
Forest products contributes between 20-40% of total income of households in forest
areas and that poor households tend to be disproportionately dependent on forest
resources, especially fuel wood and fodder. n respect of household income the
estimates in ndian conditions has been estimated to vary between 10-54%. There are
varying estimates (100 m to 500 m persons) of dependence of communities on NTFP
for cash income and self-consumption. Needless to say that the community
dependence on NTFP is very large particularly amongst forest fringe dwellers who
derive bulk of their livelihood support from NTFPs. According to the National
Commission on Agriculture, minor forest products meet the indispensable requirements
of the population particularly those who live in forests.
Bamboo cultivation has been taken up by farmers .t is versatile in nature and its leaves
act as bio fertilizers. A farmer can earn Rs. 50,000 per year in an acre. t is very
profitable. Farmers or primary forest produce gatherers collect raw forest products from
nearby forest areas, do some primary level processing such as drying, cleaning and
grading, and sell them to the various industries. For many farmers in the region,
processing forest and farm tree products provides an essential source of off-farm
income. Their off-farm activities included palm oil processing, palm wine tapping, fuel
wood collection, hunting, and fishing. There are a large number of different processing
activities. The products are often of great local importance: providing food, household
equipment, farming tools, transportation equipment, as well as cultural artifacts. Like
gathering activities, non-timber forest product processing is often a part-time activity
which is done in addition to agricultural and other tasks.
Below is a table showing contribution of FORESTRY SECTOR TO GDP (Source:
nstitute of Economic Growth 2002)
(Rupees in .rores)
Item Value/ha in
rupees
Forest area
million hectare
Total Value Total
value()
Source
Industrial
Wood
- - 2441.75 9.39 CSO with
adjustments
Fuel Wood - - 14272.00 54.93 CSO with
tree value
NTFPs 1675.54 25.00 4188.85 16.12 IEG
Eco-Tourism 7443.40 4.90 3647.27 14.04 IEG
Carbon 1366.73 10.49 1433.70 5.52 IEG
Sequestration
Total Value - - 25984.53 100 IEG
Total Cost - - 2404.83 - IEG
Contribution
to GDP at
market price
- - 23579.70 - -








SCOPE

Forests are valuable natural resources which serves people in many ways. Their
economic value increases as science and technology find new ways to utilize their
products and by products. Ever since the beginning of settled life, forests have been of
vital importance to people who looked upon them for all their basic necessities. Forests
are not a mere handmaid of agriculture but also an inexhaustible reserve providing man
and industries with a number of raw materials. Forests provide both ard and soft
wood, including trees as Teak, Rose wood, Sisam, gurjan, Sal, Ebony, etc. Soft woods
include Fir, Sedar, Deodar, Poplar, Pine, etc. Farmers can become suppliers of raw
materials for these industries which are into the business of manufacturing wagons and
tools, furniture, paper pulp and constructional work.
There are many other items which a farmer can produce, those items which are
essential for certain industries or serve as valuable articles for export. Minor forest
produce comprises diverse vegetable, animal and mineral products. Most important of
these are bamboos, cane, gums, resins, lac, tanning materials, katha and kutch,
grasses, oil seeds, etc. Farmers can sell the various kinds of fruits and vegetables that
grow in the forests. The most popular are Mango, Jamun, Tendu, Khirni, etc. Forests
are very rich in medicinal herbs and drugs like atropha, belladonna, huxvomica, menthe,
juniper, satawar, etc. Forests provide a variety of raw materials for industrial use.
ndustries dependent on timber are saw mills, plywood, and veneer factories, hard
board factories, chip board factories, furniture and door making industry, match industry,
packing boxes, wooden toys, sport requisites and many more. All these industries
provide many opportunities for the local farmers to get employed. Farmers can make a
living for themselves by becoming supplier of raw materials to these industries. Some
other industries for which farmers can supply raw materials are rayon industry, paper
industry, ginger oil, varnishes and polishes, etc.
Of the total wage employment in the forestry sector, NWFPs account for
more than 70% of the opportunities for self-employment for the forest
dwellers as farm mechanization has not developed well in ndia. According to an
LO estimate, one hectare of forest plantation creates nearly 630 man
days, from the raising of nurseries to the harvesting stage. 70% of the budget allocated
to plantations or afforestation is spent on providing direct wages to the workers and
only 30% goes towards purchase of seeds, planting materials, equipment etc.
t would not be out of place to mention that 50% of the workforces on
forest plantations are women and tribal. Rural women use 70-80% of the man days
in collection of NWFPs, fuel and fodder. Activities related to NWFPs provide
employment during slack periods and a buffer against risk and household
emergencies. n the remotest areas, sometimes the forest is the only source of
employment and income. Research is needed to evolve forest based
entrepreneurial endeavors to produce multiplier effects through the
forward and backward linkages.


REQUIREMENTS
Due to continuous use of forest resources, the forests are under tremendous strain.
ndia has the largest number of poor in the world, many of whom depend directly or
indirectly on forests for a living. Poverty, as well as large and expanding human and
livestock populations, puts unrelenting pressure on the forests of ndia. The
consequence is severe degradation of the country's forest resources. mmediate steps
have to be taken to stop destruction of our forests. n forestry NTFPs appeared to have
the potential for poverty reduction and sustainable livelihood. The forests contribute
1.7% to the GDP of the country. Due to problems associated with the valuation of
forests and services, unrecorded removals, illegal harvesting, etc. the
exactness of the contribution has not been established. A large part of the
forest production consisting of fuel, fodder, medicine and food are removed
without payment and without any record by the rural and tribal people.
The total annual value of ndia's harvest of all forest produce is estimated to
be Rs. 300,000 millions.The low estimate of contribution to the GDP resulted in low
priority for forestry investments in five-year plans. ndia`s long-term strategy for
forestry development reflects three major objectives:
to reduce soil erosion and flooding;
to supply the growing needs of the domestic wood products industries; and
to supply the needs of the rural population for fuel wood, fodder, small timber, and
miscellaneous forest produce.
To achieve these objectives, the National Commission on Agriculture in 1976
recommended the reorganization of state forestry departments and advocated the
concept of social forestry. The commission itself worked on the first two objectives,
emphasizing traditional forestry and wildlife activities; in pursuit of the third objective, the
commission recommended the establishment of a new kind of unit to develop
community forests. t encouraged both individual farmers and tribal communities to
grow trees for profit.
Forestry is being redefined, with a growing emphasis on poverty alleviation and
livelihoods improvements particularly since late 1970. The Millennium Development
Goal's (MDGs) have focused attention on poverty alleviation. Fortunately, forestry of
late received due recognition that it has component of poverty reduction through
providing immediate goods and services for consumption, cash income and serves as
safety net. t has been estimated that many village communities derive as
much as 17-35% of their annual household income from the sale of
NWFPs.


CONCLUSION
Forests are considered our most important renewable natural resources, and they
confer considerable benefits on both the people and the nation as a whole, provided
that this valuable natural resource is conserved, exploited and utilized properly. People
have realized that deforestation threatened not only the ecology but also their livelihood
in a variety of ways. The renewable nature of forest resources is of vital and increasing
importance. The forest resources if properly managed, exploited and utilized can
provide and support industries, meet urban and rural demands, preserve health and
prosperity of the people. All forest activities generate employment opportunities
particularly in the much neglected rural sector. The importance of forests lies in
increasing their productivity, linking their development with various forest based
industries and to protect and develop them as a support to the rural economy. n
developing country like ndia, an increase in the population of humans and cattle results
in an increase in demand for forest produce, where there is scope for
cultivation of forestry species in wasteland and other forest land because of
the drastic decrease in per capita land availability.