TREESCAPES 2026, the first South Asian Agroforestry and Trees Outside Forests (AF-TOF) Congress, will be hosted by CIFOR-ICRAF in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) from 5–7 February 2026 at the National Agricultural Science Complex (NASC), Pusa Campus, New Delhi. The three-day regional congress aims to position agroforestry as a mainstream, scalable solution for climate-resilient landscapes, sustainable agricultural livelihoods and economic growth across South Asia.
A landmark regional platform for agroforestry
TREESCAPES 2026 marks the first South Asian Congress focused exclusively on agroforestry and trees outside forests. It will bring together policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, civil society organisations, farmers and youth from across the region to exchange knowledge, showcase best practices and collectively deliberate on scaling AF-TOF systems.
High-level participation from south asia
The Congress will be held in the presence of senior dignitaries including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India; Madan Prasad Pariyar, Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Government of Nepal; Ahmed Hassan Didi, Hon’ble Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Welfare, Republic of Maldives; and Rao Narbir Singh, Hon’ble Minister, Environment, Forest and Wildlife, Government of Haryana.
Addressing climate resilience and farmer livelihoods
Highlighting the importance of the Congress, Manoj Dabas, India Country Director, CIFOR-ICRAF, noted that tree-based systems currently account for 19.3 per cent of India’s carbon stocks and could help abate over two billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2030. With more than 86 per cent of Indian farmers classified as marginal, he emphasised the need to align carbon finance frameworks and agroforestry policies with fragmented landholdings and locally adapted practices.
Bridging policy gaps and scaling tree-based systems
Through plenary sessions, panel discussions and thematic tracks, TREESCAPES 2026 will address policy, regulatory and institutional gaps related to agroforestry and trees outside forests. Key focus areas include digital tools for scaling adoption, water-secure landscape approaches, farmer-led innovation, financing mechanisms, certification frameworks, value chains, climate and ecosystem services, bioeconomy opportunities, and carbon finance.
Evidence-led solutions for food security and climate action
According to the FAO’s State of Food and Agriculture 2025, nearly 1.7 billion people worldwide live in regions where crop yields are declining due to land degradation. In India, agroforestry is increasingly recognised as a viable response, delivering measurable gains in climate mitigation, farm incomes and rural resilience. A nine-year ICAR study published in 2025 found that one-acre farms under agroforestry sequestered up to 154.5 megagrams of CO₂ equivalent while maintaining food production.
Strong institutional partnerships
TREESCAPES 2026 is jointly organised by CIFOR-ICRAF and ICAR, with ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute (CAFRI), NABARD and the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) as Organising Partners. The Congress is supported by thematic partners including GIZ, ITC Limited, The Nature Conservancy, FSC and IWMI, with NAAS and TAAS serving as Knowledge Partners.
Positioned against India’s 2070 net-zero goals and growing reforestation efforts, TREESCAPES 2026 aims to serve as a pivotal regional platform to accelerate agroforestry adoption, increase tree cover, and strengthen climate-resilient agricultural livelihoods across South Asia.
