Agroforestry has been hailed as a panacea for multiple agricultural and ecological challenges. Discuss its potential in addressing rural livelihood, food security, and climate mitigation goals in India. Also highlight the challenges in its implementation.

Answer: Model Answer approach

The one need in the question is how agroforestry lessens the effects of climate change.

Explain what agroforestry is and how agriculture and climate change are closely related.

• Climate change and agriculture are closely related. Agriculture is the primary driver of 80% of tropical deforestation and accounts for about 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 
• One of the industries that produces the most CO2 emissions is intensive agriculture, which is defined by monocultures and is used to feed farm animals. In this sense, however, agroforestry—the management and coexistence of trees, crops, and/or cattle on the same piece of land—may be the answer.

Body: Agroforestry reduces the effects of climate change.

• When used effectively, agroforestry can boost economic growth, improve health and nutrition, and raise ecosystem sustainability and environmental resilience, all of which can improve livelihoods. As a result of fewer social migrations and the satisfaction of human wants in a way that promotes environmental health, such advancements may also lead to an increase in social sustainability. By decreasing water, soil, organic matter, and nutrients, agroforestry helps manage runoff and soil erosion.
• Through soil and plant carbon sequestration, agroforestry has a great potential to reduce atmospheric CO2 and create carbon sinks and green carbon.

Conclusion: Agroforestry’s importance in relation to climate change and food security.

• Profitable production is made possible by this climate-smart farming method, which also greatly restores land, slows down climate change, protects local biodiversity, and improves food and nutritional security for the expanding population.

Practice Question

Question: “Agroforestry not only mitigates the effects of climate change but also enhances social sustainability.” Critically analyse this statement with examples.

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