Roadmap for Scaling Trees Outside Forests in India: Learnings from Select States on Policy Incentives, Enabling Conditions, and Barriers

This research paper proposes a roadmap for scaling Trees Outside Forests (ToF) in India, noting that 80 million hectares could sequester 3.4 Gt CO2e by 2040. By analyzing policy incentives in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, and Telangana, the paper recommends landscape-level restoration plans, support for traditional ToF research, and targeted interventions for women and marginalized groups.

• Growing trees outside forests (ToF) in India offers a substantial environmental opportunity, with the potential for nearly 80 million hectares of these trees to sequester 3.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (Gt CO2e) by 2040, aiding India's international climate commitments. Additionally, ToF can enhance food and livelihood security for rural populations, particularly poor and vulnerable groups.
• The research analyzes the implementation of monetary and non-monetary incentives for ToF and agroforestry across six Indian states: Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, and Telangana, to determine the barriers and enabling conditions for expansion.
• The paper recommends that policymakers develop landscape-level restoration strategies, shift incentives to support research on traditional ToF systems, target the specific needs of marginalized groups and women who rely on multipurpose trees, and improve the general enabling environment to motivate practitioners to expand ToF systems.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Roadmap for Scaling Trees Outside Forests in India: Learnings from Select States on Policy Incentives, Enabling Conditions, and Barriers. https://www.wri.org/research/roadmap-scaling-trees-outside-forests-india

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Roadmap for Scaling Trees Outside Forests in India: Learnings from Select States on Policy Incentives, Enabling Conditions, and Barriers. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/roadmap-scaling-trees-outside-forests-india.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Roadmap for Scaling Trees Outside Forests in India: Learnings from Select States on Policy Incentives, Enabling Conditions, and Barriers |url=https://www.wri.org/research/roadmap-scaling-trees-outside-forests-india |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendroadmap, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Roadmap for Scaling Trees Outside Forests in India: Learnings from Select States on Policy Incentives, Enabling Conditions, and Barriers}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/roadmap-scaling-trees-outside-forests-india}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }