The Ideal Process Flow for Agroforestry Projects (Especially on Farmer Land)
In many agroforestry projects, people get excited and start rushing things.
Pits are dug by generic labourers & contractors, approx number of saplings dispatched to site, plantation begins- but then problems start coming one after another. Plants don’t survive, saplings count in mismatched saplings are either short or over supplied on a plot, it leads to waste of sapling, or opportunity. You are dependent on field supervisors for information about the project, rather depending on quality checked data. You are at the mercy of people on the ground.
Even worse, after 2–3 years, there’s no proper data of actual plantation done, which affects the carbon credit process.
From our experience on farmer lands, we advise Project Developers and Investors a very different scalable work-flow for a foolproof Agroforestry project. We suggest using Technology from Day 1, during the planning stage. The technology should drive actions done on the field, and not vice versa.
Here is how the flow should look like:
1. Baseline Survey + KML Mapping
Before touching the land parcel, understand it properly. Do a proper baseline survey and Polygon mapping, generate KML files to digitally mark the boundary of each farmer’s land.
Then use this polygon mapping to study the shape of the land and check for any barriers like water bodies, houses, slopes or bunds. This helps you know how much area is actually usable and available for plantation
2. Pit Digging & Infrastructure Setup
Calculate exact number of trees possible in that land parcel. Don’t let the labourers dig pits randomly. Decide how many pits to dig, where to dig and what spacing to keep between saplings. Create a layout for every plot, similar to how architects create drawings for every room in a house. If it’s a bund plantation, count the available bunds and total trees which can be accommodated on that bund.
Also plan and install drip irrigation before plantation begins. Water supply is very important in the first 2–3 years of plant life. Don’t delay it.
3. Digital Count of the Pits
Once the pits are ready, do the pits counting digitally.
If possible, use drones to get aerial visuals and understand the area better.
This gives a more accurate number of how many saplings you really need.
4. Plantation + Geo-Tagging
During plantation, make sure each sapling is geo-tagged or marked with a unique ID.
This helps you track which sapling was planted where, and makes it easier for monitoring later.
Think of every tree like a data point.
5. Digital Monitoring & Replantation Planning
After plantation, don’t forget the plants. Do follow ups regularly- after the first rain, after 6 months, and again after 1 year. If some saplings die, you’ll know exactly which ones need to be replanted if they’re geo-tagged. Otherwise, replantation becomes full of guesswork and confusion.
6. Carbon Monitoring & Reporting
If your goal is to earn carbon credits, you need 2–3 years of consistent digital records.
This includes:
– Tree survival data
– Geo-tagged reports
– Replantation logs
– Irrigation reports
Only with this kind of digital documentation and tech-based process, your project will qualify for carbon credit eligibility.
Agroforestry is not just about planting trees- it’s about managing them like large-scale operations. And for that system to work, you need a proper process.
Follow this flow strictly, especially when working on small holding farmers’ land.
It saves time, reduces plant loss and improves the overall impact of the project.
Want to know how we do this step-by-step? or need help with the implementation work, Connect with our Climate team at sales@anaxee.com
About Anaxee:
Anaxee drives large-scale, country-wide Climate and Carbon Credit projects across India. We specialize in Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and community-driven initiatives, providing the technology and on-ground network needed to execute, monitor, and ensure transparency in projects like agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, improved cookstoves, solar devices, water filters and more. Our systems are designed to maintain integrity and verifiable impact in carbon methodologies.
Beyond climate, Anaxee is India’s Reach Engine- building the nation’s largest last-mile outreach network of 100,000 Digital Runners (shared, tech-enabled field force). We help corporates, agri-focused companies, and social organizations scale to rural and semi-urban India by executing projects in 26 states, 540+ districts, and 11,000+ pin codes, ensuring both scale and 100% transparency in last-mile operations.
Climate change is no longer a distant threat- it’s a lived experience for millions across India, especially in rural regions where agriculture, water, and livelihoods are closely tied to nature. As the world turns to decarbonization and ecosystem restoration, a growing spotlight is on Nature-based Solutions (NbS)- a collective term for actions that work with and enhance natural systems to address environmental, social, and economic challenges. These include tree planting, sustainable agriculture, wetland restoration, clean energy transitions, and much more.
At Anaxee, we see Nature-based Solutions not just as environmental fixes, but as community-driven pathways to climate justice, economic opportunity, and ecosystem balance. With our boots-on-ground presence across 11,000+ pin codes in India, and a network of over 50,000 Digital Runners, we’re making NbS not just scalable-but real, measurable, and human.
What Are Nature-based Solutions, Really?
Nature-based Solutions are exactly what they sound like: actions that use nature to solve some of humanity’s biggest problems. Unlike purely technological fixes, NbS lean into the power of forests, soil, water, biodiversity, and communities. They include planting trees to absorb CO₂, restoring degraded land to improve agriculture, or even protecting mangroves to guard against sea-level rise.
The IUCN defines Nature-based Solutions as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively.” But for people on the ground, they are a way to protect farms from heatwaves, restore village ponds that dried up, or earn income from carbon credits.
In India, where climate vulnerability intersects with population density, poverty, and ecosystem stress, the importance of Nature-based Solutions can’t be overstated. The challenge is making them work at scale, in diverse geographies- from the Himalayan foothills to dryland Bundelkhand to the coastal belts of Odisha. That’s where Anaxee comes in.
The Need for NbS in India’s Climate Journey
India’s climate commitments- its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement- rely heavily on land-based carbon sinks. The goal to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forest and tree cover by 2030 is unachievable without Nature-based Solutions.
But the opportunity is more than carbon. India has:
– Over 120 million smallholder farmers who depend on climate-sensitive livelihoods. – 30% of land under degradation or desertification. – Tens of thousands of rural communities lacking access to sustainable energy. – Women disproportionately affected by natural resource decline.
Nature-based Solutions, when designed well, can solve for all these: restoring land, generating rural income, empowering women, increasing biodiversity, and reducing emissions.
Anaxee’s Approach to Nature-based Solutions
At Anaxee, our belief is that climate action must go local. Technology and field execution must come together to scale climate projects with integrity and inclusivity. That’s why we’ve built one of India’s largest Tech-for-Climate infrastructures- combining a digital platform for project tracking with human networks that reach the remotest villages.
Our Nature-based Solutions portfolio includes:
Agroforestry Projects
We work with smallholder farmers to integrate trees into their farms- especially on bunds (farm boundaries), where crops are not affected. This creates a triple win: improved biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and diversified farmer income (e.g., from fruit, fodder, or timber trees). Species are selected regionally for their survival rate, carbon value, and local relevance.
Clean Cooking and Improved Cookstoves
Traditional biomass stoves are a major source of indoor pollution and forest degradation. Our clean cooking projects distribute fuel-efficient cookstoves across rural households- improving health, saving time for women, and reducing wood use. These are verifiable Nature-based Solutions with measurable carbon impact.
Bamboo Plantation and Carbon Sinks
Fast-growing bamboo acts as a powerful carbon sink. In states like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, we support large-scale bamboo plantation drives with community ownership models. Bamboo also creates rural livelihoods through harvesting, processing, and market linkages.
Solar Energy Deployment in Off-grid Areas
Though not a forest-based intervention, access to decentralized solar power prevents forest overharvesting, reduces kerosene usage, and creates new income avenues like solar-powered agri-processing or lighting for shops. We categorize this under nature-integrated clean technology.
Wetland and Watershed Restoration
Through data collection and community partnerships, we help identify, document, and facilitate the rejuvenation of wetlands, ponds, and community water bodies. These blue NbS projects are essential for climate adaptation in water-stressed belts of India.
Real Projects, Real Impact
We don’t just conceptualize. We implement. Every Anaxee Nature-based Solution is backed by a field team that ensures accuracy, and a digital backend that ensures traceability. From QR-coded saplings to geo-tagged stove installations, from drone mapping to on-ground farmer training- we track every step.
For example, in Bundelkhand, an arid zone prone to extreme droughts, we are planting multi-use trees with farmers under Verra’s VM0047 methodology. This will generate long-term carbon credits while supporting soil moisture retention and fodder supply. In tribal districts of Maharashtra, our clean cookstove program has reached over 5,000 households, leading to 30% reduction in wood usage and significant indoor air quality improvements.
These are not pilot projects- they are blueprints for scaling climate action with rural agency.
Why Verification and Carbon Credits Matter
Nature-based Solutions can only attract climate finance if they are credible and verifiable. That’s why we work with globally recognized registries such as Verra (VCS), Gold Standard, and CCTS India to register our projects under certified methodologies. This enables the issuance of carbon credits, which corporates and climate investors can buy to offset their emissions.
For instance, our agroforestry projects follow VM0047: Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation methodology, ensuring transparent carbon accounting. Clean cooking initiatives use Gold Standard’s Improved Cookstove methodologies. We ensure rigorous monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) with census-level tracking.
Carbon finance from these projects goes back to the communities- either directly, or by enabling more interventions like water, health, or solar access.
Building NbS with Tech + Trust Scaling Nature-based Solutions in India isn’t just about planting more trees. It’s about:
– Planting the right trees, in the right places. – Ensuring long-term survival and monitoring. – Engaging communities not just as beneficiaries, but as stakeholders. – Using data to build trust and transparency.
That’s what Anaxee does differently. We use our Digital Runners- trained youth from local geographies- to map farms, monitor plantations, verify stove usage, and provide climate training. This creates employment, ownership and accountability at the last mile. Our mobile-based apps ensure all field data is digitized, geo-referenced, and accessible on dashboards for clients, funders, and auditors.
Nature-based Solutions Are the Future- But Only If We Invest in People
India’s climate story cannot be copy-pasted from the West. Our biodiversity, farming systems, caste dynamics, and land rights are unique. That’s why cookie-cutter models of NbS fail. Anaxee invests deeply in contextualization. Our SOPs are built on ground realities- what survives in saline soil? Which stove design works best for tribal kitchens? What motivates farmers to protect saplings for 5 years?
The answer, always, is people. And that’s where we put our energy.
Partner with Anaxee for Nature-based Solutions That Work
– Corporate with a net-zero target,
If you are a:
– CSR head looking to fund climate-resilient livelihoods, – NGO wanting to implement afforestation or cookstove projects, – Climate investor searching for high-quality, community-integrated carbon credits…
…Anaxee is your execution partner.
We operate across 26 states, 540+ districts, and have the field strength and digital systems to implement and report at scale. Our Nature-based Solutions are real, traceable, inclusive, and future-ready.
Conclusion: A Natural Solution to a Human Crisis
In a time of planetary crisis, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But nature gives us hope. Every tree planted, every stove distributed, every pond restored is a piece of the solution. Nature-based Solutions are not silver bullets- but they are our strongest levers for bending the emissions curve while uplifting the vulnerable.
At Anaxee, we invite you to be part of this mission- not as spectators, but as collaborators. Let’s make climate action local. Let’s make it work for people and the planet.
Call to Action
Looking to implement a Nature-based Solution in India? Partner with Anaxee’s team. Let’s schedule a 30 minute demo call! 📩 Reach out at sales@anaxee.com Together, we can build climate resilience, one village at a time.
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