The speakers emphasised the need to expand areas under the ‘Trees Outside Forests’ programme that will be beneficial to both farmers and the environment, during a two-day stakeholders’ consultation meeting on the Indian Forest Wood Certification Scheme (PRAMAAN).
The event that concluded in Vijayawada on Wednesday brought together farmers, stakeholders from the timber industry, wood-based sectors, agroforestry and other relevant fields to discuss the scheme’s advantages and requirements.
The scheme, launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, offers voluntary third-party certification for forest management, Trees Outside Forests (TOF) management, and chain of custody to promote sustainable forest management and agroforestry in the country.
The event was organised by the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal. Following the meeting, participants also visited the local wood-based industries to study their supply chains.
