Bund (boundary) plantations are a farmer-friendly form of agroforestry in India: rows of trees planted along field edges while the core land continues to grow food crops. Under Verra’s VM0047 Afforestation, Reforestation & Revegetation (ARR) methodology, these living fences can generate high-integrity carbon credits- if they follow the census-based approach.

Why Choose the Census-Based Route?

• No land-use change- Cropping continues, so farmers keep their primary income.

• Lower data burden than area-based- You tag and track individual trees, not sample forest plots.

• Ideal for smallholders- Average Indian farm size ≈ 1 ha; a census lets you aggregate thousands of tiny parcels into one program.

Practical Tips to Stay Within 50 Trees per Hectare

1. Measure the perimeter first. A 1-ha square plot is ~400 m around; planting every 8 m gives 50 trees.

2. Prioritize corners & windward sides for shade/wind-break benefits.

3. Rotate species- fast-growing nitrogen fixers (Gliricidia, Sesbania) plus high-value timber (Teak, Melia).

Monitoring & Tagging SOPs

• Planting Day: Assign a numeric ID, fix a weather-proof tag, record GPS coordinates in a mobile app.

• Year 1 & 3 Survival Check: Quick visual count; remove dead IDs from the live database (no replacement beyond 50/ha).

• Year 5 Growth Sample: Random 10 % of trees- measure DBH and height for biomass equations.

• Photographic Evidence: At each visit, 3 geotagged photos (tag close-up, full tree, farm context).

Carbon Accounting Snapshot

1. Live Tree Count × Average Biomass Growth → Annual CO₂ removal.

2. Leakage: Negligible, since cropping is intact.

3. Buffer Deduction: Apply Verra’s risk tool (fire, pests).

Benefits Beyond Carbon

• Wind-break & soil-moisture retention→ higher crop yields.

• Diversified farm income from timber or fruit.

• Biodiversity corridors connecting fragmented habitats.

Key Takeaways

• Bund agroforestry does qualify under VM0047’s census-based pathway—but only when you cap density at ≤ 50 trees per hectare and tag every tree.

• Robust DMRV (Digital Monitoring, Reporting & Verification)- QR tags, GPS, periodic growth sampling- keeps auditors satisfied and credits flowing.

• For smallholder aggregators like Anaxee, this model scales easily across thousands of farms, delivering verified carbon credits plus real rural co-benefits.

We hope you found this information helpful. For any further details or collaboration opportunities, feel free to reach out to us at sales@anaxee.com.