Navigating The Implications Of Agroforestry Regulations On Cooperative Enterprises In Karnataka, India
- IJLLR Journal
- 16 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Shantanu M, School of Law, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India
ABSTRACT
This research paper studies how farmers in Karnataka, India can work together in groups called cooperatives to solve their problems with getting permission papers (called licenses) to cut and sell trees they grow on their farms. Agroforestry means farmers grow trees along with their regular crops like rice or vegetables, which can help them earn extra money, but they need special government permission to cut these trees when they are ready. The study found that when farmers join together in cooperatives instead of working alone, they become much stronger and can better convince government officials to give them the licenses they need and make the rules easier to follow. The research looked at many successful examples from around the world, especially India's famous Amul dairy cooperative where milk farmers worked together and became very successful, and also examined government reports, laws, and academic studies to understand why the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976 makes it so difficult for individual farmers to get timber licenses. The findings show that farmer cooperatives help in three important ways: they give farmers a louder voice when talking to government officials about getting licenses, they help farmers learn about new technology and better ways to grow trees, and they help India achieve its big goals of reducing poverty, fighting climate change, and protecting forests. The research concludes that the Indian government should encourage and support farmers to form agroforestry cooperatives and should make the licensing process much simpler, because this would help farmers make more money from their land, reduce India's need to buy expensive timber from other countries, and help protect our environment for future generations.
Keywords: Farmer Cooperatives, Agroforestry, Timber Licensing, Karnataka, sustainability
