The afternoon sun beats down on bare fields near Indore. A lone neem tree, scarred by time, stands as a reminder. India’s farmland trees, vital for shade, habitat, and the environment, are disappearing rapidly. A recent study in Nature Sustainability found that between 2010 and 2018, nearly 11% of large farm trees in India vanished. Worryingly, over five million more were lost between 2018 and 2022 alone. These are conservative figures but show a massive loss of trees in rural areas.
Central India, including states like Telangana and Maharashtra, has seen significant losses, with nearly half of its large farm trees gone between 2010 and 2018. Even areas around Indore in Madhya Pradesh have experienced sharp declines. This loss of mature trees weakens soil health, reduces crop yields, and makes farming less resilient to climate change.
Why is this happening? The way India counts its trees is part of the problem. Official methods, like those used by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), only count large, connected forest areas. Single trees or small groups on farmland are not included. This means millions of trees on private land exist in a ‘bureaucratic blind spot’ – they are not officially tracked, so their disappearance goes unnoticed.
Farmers aren’t cutting trees out of dislike for nature. The main reasons are economic pressure and changing farming methods. Many farmers don’t see the direct benefits of trees, such as soil improvement or pollination support. Instead, they view trees as obstacles to modern farming, taking up valuable space and making it harder to use machinery. With crops like soybean and wheat needing every inch of land, a tree can feel like a direct loss of income.
Government rules to protect trees have also had limited success. Getting permission to cut trees can be complicated, so farmers often remove them quietly. Enforcement is difficult because there’s no official record of these trees, making illegal cutting hard to detect.
Local markets also play a role. Large markets for timber welcome wood from farms. Farmers have found ways to transport logs by cutting them into smaller pieces, making it harder to distinguish between legal and illegal wood. This blurs the lines and allows farm wood to enter the timber market unnoticed.
Modern farming practices add to the pressure. With more irrigation, farmers are growing water-intensive crops. Tractors and harvesters are now common, and any tree canopy can get in the way. As landholdings get smaller with each generation, the urge to clear every part of the field increases.
Urbanisation also contributes. On the edges of cities like Indore, land is being turned into housing or farmhouses. Trees are often removed for construction or to create modern gardens. Natural events, like strong winds, can also topple trees, and with little incentive to maintain them, fallen trees are simply removed and rarely replaced.
Experts believe India needs a new approach: a National Farmland Tree Policy. This policy should focus not just on planting new trees but also on protecting the mature ones already there. A key step would be creating a Farmland Tree Registry to officially record trees on private land using satellite mapping and on-ground checks. This would help track removals and encourage farmers to keep trees.
Recognising old or culturally important trees as ‘Heritage Trees’ and offering small incentives, like annual payments, could encourage farmers to preserve them. Awards for ‘Farming with Trees’ could also help change attitudes and create pride in conservation.
Rules for cutting and transporting wood need to be simpler and more consistent across states. A digital permit system would make it easier for farmers to get approvals online. Markets also need better regulation, with audits of timber yards and public disclosure of wood purchases from farms.
Integrating farm trees into agricultural planning is also crucial. Extension services can advise farmers on which native tree species are best for soil health and crop yields. Agricultural statistics should include tree cover, recognising trees as vital ‘climate-resilient infrastructure’.
India needs to shift its focus from counting planted saplings to counting standing trees. Protecting existing mature trees is just as important as planting new ones. A dedicated policy is needed to combine incentives, regulatory changes, and data systems. This policy must see farm trees as essential green infrastructure for water, carbon storage, and climate adaptation.
While there are some positive signs, like simplified agroforestry rules in some states, reversing the current decline requires a united effort. Policymakers, researchers, agricultural experts, and farmers must work together. Farmland trees are vital for food security and climate resilience. Protecting these ‘veterans of the fields’ is essential for long-term ecological balance and rural well-being.