TOFI is a massive afforestation program sponsored by US AID through the Indian Ministry of Forests, Environment & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in seven states of India including Tamil Nadu. World Agro Forestry Centre (CIFOR-ICRAF) has conceived this project and implementing in Tamil Nadu with support from ATREE, CAFRI, NIAP, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) etc.,

As a prime part of this program, TOFI Master Tree Trainers were selected from Tree enthusiast applicants from Coimbatore and neighboring districts and trained at TNAU’s Forest College & Research Institute (FC&RI) at Mettupalayam from June 1 to 5, 2024. These Master Trainers are to take the next level of training in Tree cultivation in farm lands so that the Forest cover of the country gets strengthened.

LEARNINGS:

The forest cover of India ranges around 22% of the land mass. It needs to be increased to 33% to mitigate Climate Change. But, Indian Forests are almost preserved with a healthy gene pool of bio diversity under the direct control of the Government. No felling is allowed inside these forests and hence they remain intact and gets naturally regenerated. This has resulted in a plan called Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI), to increase the Green cover in farm lands.

Farmers will be guided by Master Trainers of TOFI and the implementing agencies are seriously working on this project to compensate the farmers through Carbon Credit programs and matured tree marketing to the industrial sector.

Trees are known as Carbon sink because they absorb the Carbon Di-Oxide and emit Oxygen. This results in Climate cooling. Reduction of CO₂ into Carbon and Oxygen leads to a safer storage of Carbon in the form of wood. Hence wood, trees or biomass are considered to be the saviors of earth from Global warming, rather Global Boiling.

Tree/Wood can be scientifically defined as a combination of Lignin, Cellulose and bio-mass. Wood contains 50% carbon, 42% oxygen, 6% hydrogen, 1% each in Nitrogen and mineral matters. Trees consume 3.67 kgs of CO₂ to produce a kg of Carbon. Hence we need more and more trees to treat the excessive Carbon foot prints.

The paper consumption of India was 2kgs per person in 1950. It rose to 6 kgs (1960), 8 kgs (1980) and now it has scaled upto 15 kgs person in a year. The population too has increased leading to a consumption spree. But we aren’t getting enough trees to convert them into a paper. Hence large scale imports are made.

To feed the burgeoning need of Indian Industries we are in need of 152 million metric tonnes of wood. Trees along with wood, gives us fruits and oil. Hence, Tree based industries are experiencing a boom in these days of Global boiling.

Though cities like Coimbatore, Erode and Tiruppur boast of massive tree plantation drives, these three are in the top three list of places having abundant barren lands.

An ideal mature tree should have around 70% of heart wood and 30% sap wood. Heart wood is the dead and compressed wood found in the xylem region.

Humans are valued for white skin but trees are valued for their dark texture.

An ideally seasoned wood should contain 12% or lesser content of moisture in it.

Tree Certification and Carbon Trading is coming up in a big way.

More to come based on future learning’s…

TO CONSERVE THE EARTH THROUGH CULTIVATION OF TREES OUTSIDE THE FOREST…