Participatory Plantation for Prosperity: APFCL’s Socio-Economic Model for Tribal Empowerment

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Project Details

Category: Forest Produce
Project Title: Socio-Economic Upliftment of Tribal People Through Forestry and Non-Forestry Activities
Department or District: Arunachal Pradesh Forest Corporation Limited (APFCL), Papum Pare District
State: Arunachal Pradesh
Start Date of the Project: 1st April 1977
Website: https://arunachalforests.gov.in/

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Tribe(s) that the Project Covers: The project focuses on tribal landowners across various districts of Arunachal Pradesh, including Namsai, Changlang, Tirap, and Longding. These communities have traditionally relied on shifting cultivation (jhum) and are the primary beneficiaries of the project.

Keywords: Shifting Cultivation, Tea Plantation, Tribal Welfare, Eco-Tourism, Bamboo Crafts, Cash Crops, CFC, Forest-Dwelling Tribes, Rubber, Coffee

The Arunachal Pradesh Forest Corporation Limited (APFCL) was established by the state government in 1977 to promote the socio-economic development of tribal populations while ensuring sustainable forest use. As a government-owned Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), its dual mission includes both commercial and welfare objectives. The project focuses on replacing harmful shifting cultivation practices with long-term, sustainable plantation-based livelihoods. With plantations of tea, coffee, and rubber, as well as initiatives in eco-tourism, bamboo processing, and medicinal plant cultivation, APFCL has created an integrated model of economic development aligned with environmental conservation.

The Project

This initiative centres around the participatory development of cash crop plantations on tribal land. Landowners voluntarily enter into long-term agreements with APFCL, allowing it to develop plantations—primarily of tea, coffee, and rubber—without requiring monetary input from the landholders. Profits from these plantations are shared on a 50:50 basis. The project also incorporates employment generation through plantation work and value-added activities like bamboo processing, eco-tourism, and medicinal plant cultivation. To facilitate skill-building, APFCL has established Common Facility Centres (CFCs) to train youth in processing bamboo and medicinal products.

Problems that it Intends to Solve

The project addresses multiple challenges: widespread use of jhum cultivation, which degrades forests and yields low returns; lack of alternative, sustainable livelihoods; limited awareness of commercial crop cultivation; and underemployment in rural areas. APFCL’s approach provides an economic incentive for tribal landowners to transition from traditional practices to modern agriculture.

What was the Need

Shifting cultivation, while historically rooted, leads to deforestation and limited productivity. Tribal communities lacked exposure to sustainable, income-generating alternatives. By creating plantations and related industries on tribal land, APFCL aimed to provide long-term, environmentally sound livelihoods. There was a pressing need to create systems that would both preserve forests and enhance local incomes without requiring initial capital from tribal landowners.

What Hindered its Introduction

Initial resistance from tribal landowners, who were hesitant to give up traditional agricultural practices and feared exploitation, posed a challenge. Many were unfamiliar with tea, coffee, or rubber cultivation and unsure about APFCL’s intentions. Additionally, the lack of enabling government policies and delays in environmental clearances for some crops, like rubber, hindered rapid scaling.

Process Followed for Implementation

APFCL began with community engagement and consultation, encouraging landowners to form societies that could enter agreements with the Corporation. These societies formally handed over land for plantation development under profit-sharing terms. The Corporation managed plantation work—soil preparation, planting, maintenance, and harvesting—while employing local labour. Technical assistance was obtained from the Coffee Board and Rubber Board. Training in tea husbandry and bamboo value addition was provided to youth. Eco-tourism guesthouses were also set up in remote areas to generate local employment. Monitoring mechanisms ensured plantations were maintained efficiently and returned to landowners after maturity.

• Government Involvement
  • As a state PSU, APFCL operates under the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. It coordinates with various departments for funding, approvals, and technical assistance. The state government supports the project through land clearance, regulation, and expansion proposals. The project aligns with state policy objectives on tribal welfare and forest conservation.
  • APFCL partners with national boards like the Rubber Board and Coffee Board, and may consult with academic or technical institutions as required.
• Involvement of Community
  • Community involvement is central to the initiative. Landowner societies are key stakeholders in each plantation project. They not only lease land but also participate as wage workers and future managers. APFCL trains these landowners and transitions plantation control back to them over time. This sense of ownership and active participation fosters sustainability.

Solutions Implemented

The primary solution was to establish large-scale tea, coffee, and rubber plantations on jhum lands using a no-investment, profit-sharing model. Tribal landowners were given income from both daily wages and long-term plantation profits. CFCs were created for bamboo and medicinal plant training, and eco-tourism was introduced in select locations to diversify incomes. These combined to provide a long-term alternative to environmentally destructive and economically weak shifting cultivation.

Details of the Coverage

Plantations were developed across multiple districts. Tea estates were established in Medo (Namsai), Mopa (Longding), and Longran (Changlang). Coffee plantations were set up in Tirap and Changlang, and rubber plantations in Bordumsa (Changlang). Each of these covered several hundred hectares. The number of beneficiaries includes hundreds of tribal landowners and several hundred more indirectly employed through plantation and allied activities.

Innovation and Unique Features

The most unique aspect is APFCL’s land-use model, where tribal land is developed at zero cost to landowners. Cash crops are grown, maintained, and harvested by the Corporation, and profits are shared with landowners. CFCs empower unemployed youth with value addition training in bamboo and medicinal plants. Eco-tourism lodges provide employment and bring visibility to remote regions. The long-term return of plantations to landowners after training and capacity building makes this model distinct.

• New Approaches: Tech integration, capacity building, culturally sensitive methods
  • Unlike traditional agriculture projects, this model uses corporate mechanisms—such as structured contracts, long-term agreements, and capacity development—with tribal participation. The approach blends commercial principles with welfare objectives. By including hospitality, training, and agro-processing, APFCL diversifies income sources while maintaining a focus on land and forest conservation.
• Co-creation: How tribal knowledge or leadership shaped the solution
  • Landowner societies were formed to formalize participation and decision-making. The project’s sustainability relies on co-creation, as APFCL involves local people in every stage—from land selection to plantation maintenance to eventual handover. Local feedback informs adjustments in training, crop selection, and expansion planning.
• Any adaptations: How the project evolved during implementation
  • Initially focused only on tea, the project has adapted to include coffee, rubber, bamboo, and medicinal plants. It expanded into eco-tourism and rural manufacturing in response to local economic needs. Training modules evolved based on community feedback. Environmental concerns about rubber led to stricter site selection and closer collaboration with the Rubber Board.

Challenges Faced Before Implementation

• Initial scepticism and reluctance among tribal landowners to part with their land was a major challenge. The cultural and emotional attachment to jhum cultivation needed to be addressed. Lack of exposure to market-based agriculture and the absence of skilled labour also limited early implementation.
• APFCL organized exposure visits and training for tribal farmers to help them understand the benefits of plantation agriculture. Demonstration plots were developed, and successful examples were highlighted to build trust. Partnerships with national boards and the use of CSR funds helped bridge financial and technical gaps.

Challenges Faced During Implementation

• Difficult terrain, scattered population, lack of infrastructure, and delays in obtaining regulatory approvals slowed expansion. Additionally, plantation crops like tea take years to mature, making it challenging to maintain community motivation in the interim.
• APFCL introduced interim wage employment and provided consistent engagement through local field staff. CFCs helped diversify income sources during waiting periods. Plantation maintenance was supported by technical experts to ensure crop survival and productivity.

Outcomes

• The most important outcome is the large-scale abandonment of jhum cultivation by tribal communities. Farmers now prefer settled cash crop farming and earn sustainable income. The model has led to better land use, increased vegetation cover, and community self-reliance. Eco-tourism and value-added industries have created new jobs. Socially, the model has improved trust in government institutions, empowered women and youth, and provided pathways to prosperity in remote areas.
• Monitoring is done through field reports, profit audits, and regular visits by APFCL staff. Transfer of plantation ownership after maturity acts as a natural evaluation checkpoint, with adjustments made based on crop success and community feedback.
• Direct beneficiaries are tribal landowners who partner with APFCL. Indirect beneficiaries include daily-wage workers, youth trained in CFCs, and residents employed in eco-tourism and allied activities.

Replicability / Scalability / Sustainability

The model is replicable across tribal regions practising shifting cultivation. With 1000 hectares of jhum land already proposed for plantation expansion, scalability is built into APFCL’s roadmap. Profit-sharing, capacity building, and community engagement ensure sustainability.

• Policy Integration
  • The initiative supports tribal development, sustainable forestry, and rural employment, aligning with state and national goals. It can inform future policies on forest-based livelihoods and tribal welfare.
• Financial Sustainability
  • The model’s sustainability is ensured through profit-sharing and minimal reliance on external funding. A future budget of ₹1,000 lakhs has been proposed to expand plantations, with government support being a key driver of long-term success.

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