Agroforestry Poem by Asit Kumar Sanyal

In 1960, like Indian subcontinent
The world was facing a food crisis
It was feared
A serious famine will come
Millions will die
But green Revolution came forward
It brought many things in its bag
and gave people those things one by one
Hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizers
Irrigation and phytosanitary treatment
It boosted farm productivity to that levels
Which was previously unseen.

More than fifty years passed
Situation changed, climate become hotter
Ground water level gone down
Cost of labour, pesticides touching sky
Fertilizers damaged soil
Production rate diminished
The present situation demands
Climate smart agriculture
That increases sustainable productivity
Strengthens farmer's resilience
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
And increases carbon sequestration.

Agroforestry is its answer
It's the climate smart technique
Where trees and crops
Are farmed together in the same field
It protects crops from extreme temp
Pumps moisture in the air
Leaf and twig litter improves soil's fertility
Makes more conductive for farming
Brings better yields
But the trees should be tropical
Shady, nitrogen-fixing, Soil-friendly
And that reduces fertilizer input cost.

France using wheat-walnut combinations
Germany planting trees
That gives biomass energy
Sumatra generates higher income
From rubber agroforestry
Africa growing cocoa and coffee
under fruit trees.
Agroforestry is a more complex form
Of agriculture
It demands long term planning
Skilled farmers
And different approach.