1(1), JANUARY, 2025

Pages: 1-4

Potential of agroforestry for livelihood security in the North-West Himalayas

Author: G. Singh, D.Kumar, V. Gautam

Category: Popular Article

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Abstract:

Agroforestry integrates crops, trees, and livestock on the same land to optimize productivity by utilizing soil resources and solar radiation efficiently. Modern agroforestry focuses on refining land use to maximize food, fuel, and fodder production while enhancing financial returns. Mountainous regions, including the North-West Himalayas, differ from plains due to their unique topography and socio-economic challenges. Mountain ecosystems sustain about 10% of the global population, providing essential resources like water, forests, and minerals . These regions also supply water to valleys and plains, but increasing populations and economic expansion, particularly in the Himalayas, have led to environmental degradation. India's hill regions, rich in biodiversity, support agriculture, horticulture, and livestock. The North-West Himalayas span 33 million hectares across Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, sustaining 25 million people and 19 million livestock, despite having only 3.2 million hectares of cultivable land. Approximately 59% of the Himalayan workforce depends on subsistence agriculture, which only meets food requirements for 5-6 months annually. The region's diverse agro-climatic conditions allow for varied crop cultivation, but challenges such as small land holdings, harsh conditions, remote locations, and poverty impact agricultural sustainability. Effective resource management is essential for development in both the hills and adjacent plains.

Keywords: North-West Himalayas, agroforestry, livelihood, food, security