Agroforestry & TOF Boom: What ISFR 2023 Reveals About India’s Tree Outside Forest Revolution

Introduction

1. TOF by the Numbers

TOF extent: 30.70 million hectares (37.11% of total green cover).
Top states in TOF cover: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh.
Tree cover increase: +1,289.4 sq. km from 2021, largely due to TOF.

Agroforestry and TOF expansion is being driven by farmer participation, CSR-backed plantation, and policy shifts like the National Agroforestry Policy (2014).

2. Agroforestry’s Carbon Value

Total Agroforestry tree cover: 1,27,590.05 sq. km
Carbon stock under agroforestry: 1,291.68 million m3
Carbon increase since 2013: +286.94 M m3 (28.56%)

The ISFR 2023 data proves agroforestry is no longer just a soil and livelihood measure. It’s now a carbon sink tool for India’s NDC targets and the voluntary carbon market.

3. Dominant Species & Use Cases

Top agroforestry species:

Mangifera indica (Mango)
Azadirachta indica (Neem)
Prosopis juliflora, Eucalyptus, Areca catechu

These species serve multiple markets: pulp & paper, fruit, timber, and carbon offset.

Use cases:

Bund plantations in smallholder farms
Agroforestry corridors on degraded land
Canal-side and railway-side tree belts

4. State-Level Innovation

Maharashtra leads in TOF growing stock (213.93 M m3)
Uttar Pradesh excels in bund-based agroforestry
Odisha integrates agroforestry with MNREGS

Many of these gains are community-driven and CSR-supported.

5. Why Corporates Should Act Now

India is short of afforestation-ready forest land.
TOF offers a scalable alternative for CSR and ESG investment.
Bund agroforestry can be implemented at low cost, with fast results and carbon credits.

Early movers in TOF carbon projects can establish leadership in climate finance.

Conclusion: Time to Go Beyond the Forest

TOF and agroforestry are not fringe practices- they’re central to India’s climate strategy. With rising carbon stock, farmer buy-in, and government policy alignment, this is the space where private players can act, invest, and lead.

For climate-conscious companies and institutions, Trees Outside Forests is the new frontier. And Anaxee is already building the infrastructure to digitize and drive this revolution, To know how connect at sales@anaxee-wp-aug25-wordpress.dock.anaxee.com

Indian corporates have turned Trees Outside Forests (TOF) from a policy footnote into a frontline climate-mitigation tool. Below we dissect five of the largest private TOF programmes launched or scaled in the last five years, showing where they operate, how many trees they have already put in the ground, who implements them—and, crucially, what kind of digitisation is keeping auditors happy and carbon-credit buyers confident.

1. The Scorecard at a Glance

2. Why These Projects Matter for Climate & CSR

• Carbon-grade potential – All five initiatives fit at least one of the nine TOF categories recognized by the Forest Survey of India, making their biomass additions “credit-ready” when paired with proper monitoring.
• Scale & replication – Together they account for >1.4 billion new trees, roughly 55 % of India’s annual timber demand in standing stock.
• Digital traceability – Geo-tagged saplings, virtual adoption portals and FSC-linked databases cut MRV costs by 30-50 %, a critical lever for smallholder aggregation.

3. Mini-Case Files:

3.1 ITC – From Pulpwood to Carbon Sink
Started 2001; turbo-scaled post-2020

• Model: Bund and block plantations supplying pulpwood, energy wood and fruit; farmers receive premium clones.
• Scale levers: In-house clonal R&D and guaranteed buy-back plus open-market option.
• Digital twist: FSC chain-of-custody tags every plot; satellite dashboards flag survival anomalies weekly.
• Why copy?: Proven economics—farmers net ₹60-80 k per 4-year cycle without losing cropping space.

3.2 Mahindra Hariyali – Geo-Tagging at Farmer Level
Launched 2007; 5 M trees/yr pledge to 2026

• FY 23-24 reach: 500 005 saplings across 156 villages, 4 768 farmers.
• Tech: Each sapling pinned via mobile GPS; WhatsApp groups crowd-verify survival.
• Carbon maths: Recent impact audit projects 68 000 t CO₂e by 2027 for the FY 23-24 cohort alone.
• Edge: Low-cost community MRV piggybacks on farmer smartphones—template for other CSR boards.

3.3 Tata Motors – Orchard-Plus-Forestry Wadi Model
Pilot 2018-19; scaled 2024

• Package: 100 fruit + 100 forestry trees per acre under Integrated Village Development Programme, boosting incomes and nutrition.
• Partners: BAIF handles agronomy, MNREGS funds after-care wages—rare triple-lever finance stack.
• Outcomes: Distress migration down 30 % in target blocks; carbon baseline created for Article 6 pathway.

3.4 Reliance Foundation – Triveni & Digital Forest
Flagship since 2022

• Approach: Dense native-species clusters planted with community women’s groups; progress streamed on a public “digital forest” microsite.
• Volume: 3 200-tree pilots scaled to 1.5 M trees across multiple states by mid-2024.
• What’s new: Real-time dashboards plus VR walk-throughs—useful marketing for ESG-minded investors.

3.5 Axis Bank – Mission 2 Million Trees
Commitment period 2021-27

• Spread: Mangrove rehab (WB, TN), agroforestry corridors (Assam), conflict-mitigation belts (KA, MP).
• Digitization: Drone survival audits and partner-level geo-tag reporting baked into grant agreements.
• Status: 1.33 M trees locked in; 670 k more budgeted—ample room for third-party carbon-credit structuring.

4. What We’re Learning About “Carbon-Grade” Execution

1. Data before digging – Projects that lock baselines to the FSI 5 × 5 km grids sail through external validation faster.
2. Traceability beats volume claims – Geo-tagging + photo time-stamps win buyer confidence even at modest scale (see Axis & Mahindra examples).
3. Partnerships matter – Corporates rarely plant alone; NGOs like BAIF, Grow Billion Trees, SeSTA turn CSR cheques into rooted saplings on schedule.
4. Virtual engagement raises money – Tata Power and Reliance’s public dashboards attracted employee and retail-donor micro-funds—an untapped pool for TOF.

Interested in making your next CSR rupee generate verified carbon credits? Book a 30-minute feasibility scan with Anaxee Climate Services.

References

1. ITC afforestation milestone – 1.4 Bn saplings, 1 M acres (itcportal.com)
2. ITC FSC & multi-objective programme details (itcportal.com)
3. Mahindra Hariyali yearly pledge & cumulative trees (1t.org)
4. Mahindra geo-tag monitoring & 2023-24 data (mahindra.com)
5. Tata Motors One Million Plantation metrics & BAIF partnership (tatamotors.com, emobilityplus.com)
6. Reliance Foundation Triveni plantation scale (thecsrjournal.in, growbilliontrees.com)
7. Reliance “digital forest” showcase (youtube.com)
8. Axis Bank Mission 2 Million Trees progress & geo-tag audits (axisbank.com)

India’s Trees Outside Forests: Why Corporates Should Lead the Carbon-Grade Plantation Wave

1. A snapshot of an overlooked green giant

India’s Trees Outside Forests (TOF)- all trees growing beyond the legal forest boundary- span 29.38 million ha, or 8.94 % of the nation’s landmass. TOF is bigger than the combined geographical area of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, yet it rarely appears in board-room climate discussions.

2. The climate jackpot hidden in farm bunds and city parks

The latest Forest Survey of India (FSI) estimate puts total carbon stock in TOF at 2 531.8 million tonnes—roughly 38 % of all carbon held by India’s forests and tree cover combined. Five states alone account for nearly a third of that stock (see Figure 10 & 11).Parallel to climate value lies a potential annual timber yield of 85 million m³, with Maharashtra (10.60 m m³/yr), Uttar Pradesh (7.47) and Karnataka (6.28) topping the chart. Corporations looking for sustainable raw-material sourcing can therefore align revenue with restoration.

3. From village surveys to 5 × 5 km grids—why the new FSI methodology matters

FSI’s assessment design has evolved from village inventories (1991-2000) to uniform 5 × 5 km grids with a 10-year cycle. Each grid is sampled for rural and urban TOF, stratifying trees into block, linear and scattered formations. This grid-based map is decision-ready for carbon accounting because:

• Every sample plot is GPS-tagged.
• Biomass equations convert stem volume to carbon stock by density class.
• Uniform strata reduce sampling error, letting projects claim credits with confidence.

4. Defining a carbon grade tree plantation

We coin the term “carbon grade tree plantation” to describe any TOF expansion that:

1. Uses FSI-accepted biomass factors for ex-ante carbon estimation;
2. Aligns with at least one of the nine TOF categories (farm forestry, block plantation, roadside windbreaks, canal-side strips, rail verges, pond banks, homesteads, woodlots, “others”);
3. Demonstrates monitoring compatibility with the 5 × 5 km grid inventory;
4. Targets species with proven high carbon volume—e.g., Mango (12.7 % of rural TOF volume) or Neem (8.06 %).

Carbon grade plantations are thus “credit-ready by design”, shortening the verification runway and attracting finance.

5. Why private entities and CSR funds must step up

Government alone cannot green 29 million ha—yet FSI estimates 43.16 million ha of additional land is technically plantable without displacing food production. Three levers make corporates indispensable:

• Regulatory nudge: India’s Companies Act mandates 2 % of average net profit be spent on CSR. Tree planting under Schedule VII already qualifies.
• Supply-chain security: Timber demand for panels and packaging is rising; TOF offers a local, legally clear alternative to imports.
• Reputation dividends: Verified carbon credits from carbon grade tree plantations can anchor science-based net-zero claims.

 

Suggested CSR focus areas

CSR lens	High-impact TOF segment	Why it works
Climate neutrality	Block plantations on culturable wastelands	High sequestration per hectare; easy MRV
Livelihoods	Farm-bund multipurpose trees	Cash + shade + fodder for smallholders
Urban resilience	Park & avenue retrofits	Heat-island mitigation, staff engagement days
Nature-positive infra	Rail & highway windbreaks	Aligns with Gati-Shakti corridors

6. Carbon-credit pathway (data strictly from FSI)

1. Baseline: Grid-level carbon stock tables offer default factors.
2. Plantation: Select species from the dominant 20 list; their volume equations are published (e.g., Mangifera indica equation 13).
3. Monitoring: Repeat sampling follows the same density classes (VDF/MDF/OF).
4. Verification: Project carbon is the delta between new inventory and baseline—no external datasets needed.

Note: While FSI does not quote market prices, each additional tonne strengthens India’s NDC commitment; corporates can claim impact without speculating on carbon value.

7. Aligning with the Government’s TOF push

The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change is betting on TOF to deliver the 2.5-3 Gt CO₂-eq additional sink by 2030 pledged under the Paris Agreement. Private “carbon grade tree plantations” help in four ways:

• Scale: CSR capital co-finances large contiguous grids.
• Granularity: Philanthropic funds can target homesteads and scattered trees often missed by public schemes.
• Data sharing: Industry-funded inventories can feed back into FSI’s 10-year cycle, improving national estimates.
• Innovation: Tech platforms- such as Anaxee’s Digital Runners- can digitize field data collection, lowering transaction costs.

 

8. Action checklist for corporates

1. Choose geography using Table 2 and carbon-stock maps.
2. Match CSR theme (climate, rural, urban) to a TOF category.
3. Design carbon grade plantation with species–site fit (see Section 4).
4. Embed MRV: align plot layout with FSI grid geometry.
5. Register credits under a recognized methodology (e.g., upcoming Indian Carbon Registry) once growth is measurable.

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Frequently Asked Questions About TOF:

Q1. What exactly is Trees Outside Forests (TOF)?
TOF includes all trees growing outside the Recorded Forest Area- on farms, roadsides, canals, homesteads, city parks, etc. It covers formations larger than 1 ha as well as scattered individuals.

Q2. How extensive is India’s TOF?
FSI’s first nationwide assessment (ISFR 2019) pegs TOF at 29.38 million ha (8.94 % of India’s land).

Q3. What is a “carbon grade tree plantation”?
It’s a plantation designed from day one to fit FSI biomass factors, fall under one of nine recognized TOF categories, and align with grid-based monitoring—making it immediately suitable for verified carbon credits (see Section 4 above).

Q4. Which species deliver the highest carbon returns?
In rural TOF, Mango (12.7 % of total volume) and Neem (8.06 %) lead the pack. Coconut and Areca dominate in urban grids.

Q5. How does FSI calculate carbon stock?
FSI multiplies forest-cover area in each density class by per-hectare carbon factors derived from sample-plot biomass; tree-cover carbon uses crown-width-based plot data. Summing both gives total TOF carbon.

Q6. Are urban trees really counted?
Yes. Urban Frame Survey (UFS) blocks are sampled separately; Cocos nucifera tops the urban list at 17.19 % of trees.

Q7. What role can CSR budgets play?
Schedule VII of the Companies Act already lists “environmental sustainability” as an eligible activity. Funding carbon grade tree plantations satisfies CSR spend while generating measurable climate and livelihood outcomes.

Q8. How much land is still available for planting?
FSI’s NDC study (2019) identified 43.16 million ha of plantable land across wastelands, highways, canals and agroforestry corridors.

Q9. Does timber harvest conflict with carbon goals?
Not necessarily. FSI’s potential annual yield table (85 m m³ nationally) shows managed harvests; harvested wood products can continue to store carbon, and re-planting keeps the cycle climate-positive .

Q10. How can a company start today?
Identify a priority district, partner with an implementation specialist (e.g., Anaxee), map existing TOF grids, and design a plantation plan that meets carbon grade criteria. Early movers will gain both CSR recognition and a head-start on India’s emerging carbon-credit marketplace.

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References

All statistics, tables and methodological details are drawn from Forest Survey of India, “Trees Outside Forest Resources in India,” Technical Information Series Vol. 2 No. 1, 2020 For more information you can connect with Anaxee at sales@anaxee-wp-aug25-wordpress.dock.anaxee.com

Native Trees with Maximum Climate & Biodiversity Pay-off

India’s new agroforestry wave is no longer about exotic fast-growers alone. 2025 buyers want high-integrity, native plantings that store carbon fast and rebuild local ecosystems. Field trials show that shifting from conventional cropland to tree-crop systems raises on-farm carbon stocks by about 25 % within a decade.

Why “native + high-carbon” matters
– Carbon revenue – Buyers pay a premium for credits backed by robust, long-term biomass data.
– Biodiversity – Native host plants bring pollinators, pest predators and under-storey herbs back, improving yield stability.
– Regulatory head-room – India’s forthcoming Carbon Credit Trading Scheme rewards “Nature-based Solutions” over pure timber blocks.

Region-wise Species Short-list & Planting Window

Planting Calendar Hot-spots: 
1. Nursery prep ends by March – allows hardening before peak heat.First rains (June) – mass out-planting across most states; root-shock is lowest.
2. Post-monsoon (Sept-Oct) – gap-filling for casualties; suitable for hardy species in high-rain areas.
3. Teak and Melia respond poorly to water-logging, so avoid low-lying pits. Neem and Khejri survive long dry spells, making them ideal boundary trees in semi-arid zones.

Take-aways for Project Developers
– Pick regionally adapted natives first – they survive, store more carbon and pass Verra/BIO PD free-rider tests.
– Sync field work with monsoon to cut irrigation costs by up to 40 %.
– Embed biodiversity metrics (e.g., pollinator counts, fodder yield) in your D-MRV to secure premium buyers.
– Leverage digital runners – Anaxee’s on-ground network can census seedlings, geotag plots and push smartphone surveys, slashing MRV overheads.

Combined, these steps position your agroforestry project for higher-integrity, higher-priced carbon credits- exactly what the 2025 market rewards. To know more connect with sales@anaxee-wp-aug25-wordpress.dock.anaxee.com

Introduction

Planning a tree plantation project under the Verra VM0047 methodology? Whether you’re a project developer, verifier, or forestry consultant, having robust Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) is essential. SOPs help you meet carbon accounting requirements, improve field performance, and build audit-ready documentation.

In this guide, we break down all 23 SOPs required under VM0047 for agroforestry projects—covering everything from species selection and pit digging to remote sensing and leakage monitoring.

Why SOPs Matter in VM0047 Projects

VM0047 is Verra’s methodology for afforestation, reforestation, and agroforestry projects. Unlike traditional afforestation, agroforestry under VM0047 involves planting on farm boundaries or degraded plots managed by smallholder farmers.

To ensure transparency, permanence, and verifiability of carbon credits, SOPs are essential. They standardize your operations and provide traceable documentation across monitoring periods and verification audits.

Summary of the 23 VM0047 SOPs (Grouped by Stage)

🌱 Planning & Nursery Stage

• SOP 1: Species & Provenance Selection- Ensures native, non-invasive, and regionally appropriate species.

• SOP 2: Nursery Propagation & Hardening- Guarantees healthy seedlings for ≥90% survival rate.

• SOP 3: Farm / Block Layout & Stratification- Accurate GIS mapping and farm segmentation.
  

🛠️ Site Preparation & Planting

• SOP 4: Site Preparation (Minimal Disturbance)- Prepares site without damaging soil carbon stocks.

• SOP 5: Pit Design & Digging- Prepares site without damaging soil carbon stocks.

• SOP 6: Planting-Unit Tagging- Each planting unit tagged with a unique QR/ID.

• SOP 7: Seedling Transport & Handling- Reduces transplant shock and mortality.

• SOP 8: Planting Technique- SOPs for alignment, depth, and collar protection.

• SOP 9: Immediate Census Recording (t = 0)- Baseline stocking index after planting.

  

🌾 Post-Planting Maintenance

• SOP 10: Irrigation & Mulching- Maintains soil moisture and suppresses weeds.

• SOP 11: Weeding & Brush Control- Prevents fire risk and biomass loss.

• SOP 12: Fertilizer Application- Integrated nutrient and emissions management.

• SOP 13: Pest & Disease Surveillance- Monthly transects and trap-based detection.

• SOP 14: Refill / Replacement Planting- For mortality replacement in census-based blocks.

📏 Monitoring & Verification

• SOP 15: Permanent Plot Measurement- For area-based biomass tracking.

• SOP 16: Remote-Sensing Stocking Index Workflow- Geospatial tracking of stocking index.

• SOP 17: Mortality Assessment & Mt Calculation- Key metric in census-based credit estimation.

  

🔥 Safeguards & Leakage

• SOP 18: Biomass Burning Surveillance- Drone-based and satellite-integrated alert systems.

• SOP 19: Leakage Monitoring (Displacement)- Agricultural displacement tracking.

📂 Data & Community Processes

• SOP 20: Data QA/QC & Archiving- Ensures traceability of all field data.

• SOP 21: Community Engagement & FPIC- Stakeholder consent and grievance redressal.

• SOP 22: Worker Health & Safety- Field compliance and safety logs.

• SOP 23: Training & Competency Verification- Ensures SOP understanding among field staff.

  

Final Thoughts

Implementing a tree plantation project under VM0047 is no small feat- but with a robust SOP system in place, you are already halfway to project integrity and carbon success. These 23 SOPs are not just tools; they are your pathway to verifiable climate impact.

Whether you’re registering a new agroforestry project or scaling existing bundles, start here, build SOP compliance from the ground up, and let your trees grow with carbon value embedded at the root.

We hope this info will help you in tree plantation under VM0047,  If you Need help implementing these SOPs on the ground? Reach out to our team at sales@anaxee-wp-aug25-wordpress.dock.anaxee.com for expert field support and digital execution.

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-wp-aug25-wordpress.dock.anaxee.com.