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In India, the paper industry is primarily rural based with close linkages with farming community. Over the years it has evolved into an agro-based industry from its earlier character of a forest-based industry.
Unfortunately, the pervading myth continues to slur the image of the industry that it uses forest raw material and consequently denudes natural forests of the country. The fact is that wood is not sourced from the native forest but from farmers who are helped to grow a few pulpable varieties of tree like Eucalyptus, Subabul, Acacia, Casurina and Poplar on their mostly de-graded land. Plantation and felling are carried out scientifically on rotation. Farmers enjoy an assured market for their produce and get market price in return. In the process their non-productive land is converted into an economic entity.
The entire gamut of activity is termed and known as Agro- forestry. It is a unique concept followed predominantly by Indian paper industry for, the Govt. has no production forestry policy alike Canada, Scandinavia, Brazil, China and Indonesia – the global majors.
Over the last decade, industry led farm/social forestry have brought around 0.25 million hectares under pulp wood plantations, mainly degraded marginal lands of farmers. At the current estimate, wood based segment of the industry uses 80 per cent of the total requirement from farm produced wood. In particular, IPMA member mills have been actively promoting agro forestry with private land holders/farmers to meet imminent raw material needs in a sustainable manner thereby, positively impacting the Greening India mission of the Government. Also, the industry initiative has created major employment in the remote areas in close proximity to the manufacturing facilities thereby, helping rural development, as well.
The agro-forestry model followed by Indian paper industry has been in fact earned world-wide acclaim and some of the projects have been registered as CDM projects.
Here is a report aired on Zee Business on Agro Forestry initiatives of IPMA members.
Click here to view the Presentation
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