MARKETING AFFORESTATION

Afforestation and its benefits

 Afforestation is planting seeds or trees to make a forest on land
which has not been a forest recently, or which has never been a
forest.

 Benefits of Afforestation
 It restores ecological balance of all eco systems.
 It maintains biological diversity
 It act as catchments for the soil and water conservation
 Plating tress can stabilize soils by increasing interception, Bring soil
together and prevent soil erosion
 Prevent floods and safeguard future of the tribal people.
 Stabilized the climate and the forest products.
 Facts of Afforestation in INDIA
 Total Forest Cover of India is 630 sq.km.
which is 19.45 per cent of total geographical
area which states that there is imbalance in
forest management.
 India contribute
 18% of World Population.
 15 % of the Worlds livestock
 Just 2% of Geographical area
 Forest Area is 1% and per capita is 0.08% which
is even lower than world average of 0.8%.
 Large Scale Deforestation and non optimal
Afforestation are root and branch cause for
the present crisis.
 Ninth Five Year Plan is already started
and results of previous of plans shows
depressing result
 Afforestation in India
 Afforestation a programme to protect the requirements of
society, economy and environment is divided to broad
categories.

 Production forestry : Afforestation programme wherein emphasis is

given on production of timber and wood for industrial use.
 Social forestry : A programme which is instrumental in
 Protecting social/public by increasing fuel, wood supply, fodder supply,
protection of agriculture fields against winds
 Social Forestry are Farm Forestry, Rural forestry and Urban Forestry.

 In India Afforestation is not a programme but a mission

which requires public participation.
 Emerging Trends in India
 Even after completion of Eight Five
Year Plan, our Contribution to world
forest coverage is far below the world
average. Till now we have only 1% of
world forest coverage.

 Below figure indicates that for 2 years

i.e. 87 & 90 we were moving in right
direction, however emerging trends
indicate that in majority of cases, the
development of forest is haphazard

 Lapses in distribution system which

virtually affect the implementation
process

 Innovate strategy for Marketing

Afforestation is thus a need of an hour
 Afforestation Marketing and its
Justifications
 Afforestation Marketing focuses on the application of marketing
principles for the time honoured and effective implementation of
programme social interest are protected, ecological balance is
maintained and avenues are paved for the development of
economy.

 Following Points justify the application of societal marketing

principles
 An Optimal mix for Afforestation programme.
 Inculcating Mass Awareness.
 Cost effectiveness
 Benefits of Sensitive Segment
 Benefits of Rural Economy
 Maintaining the Ecological Balance
 Transforming the Programme into mission.
 Afforestation MIX & Promotion
Afforestation
 Afforestation MIX:
 Based on the properties of different groups of plants, formulation of
package which will help in making the programme profitable and thus
succeeding in having fair bending of environmental and commercial
considerations.

 Afforestation MIX constitutes:

 Rural Forestry: Ownership of land is of Public or forestry is found in
community and panchayat land
 Farm Forestry: Ownership of land is of individual and it’s a process of
technological benefits to farm sector.
 Urban Forestry: Urban forestry aims at bringing trees to doors of urban
people and developing aesthic sense.
 Industrial Forestry: Industrial forestry is process of industrial
transformation by supplying them necessary raw materials.
 Afforestation MIX & Promotion
Afforestation
 Promoting Afforestation:

 Throws more light on promotional creative efforts which helps in

inculcating mass awareness.
 Using Sophisticated media and highly professional advertisement agencies
 Emphasis on Rural Segment by using Songs and Drama Division of Govt
of India. Folks songs and dramas based on Afforestation would be helpful
in motivating the rural prospects
 Pricing, Distributions
 Pricing:
 Good Support from different global organizations, however there are cases of
financial insolvency.
 The financial constraint in affecting proper maintenance and protection of plants.
 State Forest Department should assign due weightage to those plants which are
more productive or have commercial value.
 Implementing innovative strategy for identifying the leakage

 Distribution:
 Need of Innovation strategy in the distribution system which contracts the gap
and makes the distribution process smooth and fast.
 Involvement of voluntary social organizations for distribution.
 Minimizing the no of channel for distribution and activating the lower level
personnel by offering them incentives.
Question 1:
 Do you find Formulation of Afforestation MIX an
Essential Dimension for making Afforestation
Program productive? Justify your answer
 ANSWER 1: YES
 Afforestation mix for rural economy includes both
rural forestry (community land) and farm forestry
(individual land).
Question 2:
 An Optimal Afforestation MIX makes possible a
flair blending of Environmental and Economic
considerations” . Comment on this statement and
suggest the Afforestation mix that you find suitable
for Rural forestry.
Question 2:
 Blind Afforestation has proved to be non productive. Without
knowing the nature and properties of plants, Afforestation
programme cannot be profitable.
 Majority of Sate Forest Department personnel are not aware of the
nature and properties of plants
 Most Vital Process in the Blending process is selection of suitable
tress which on the one hand generates more oxygen and are also
found productive.
 It is important that different constituents of the programme is well
tested in view of of changing social, economic requirements.
 Thus based on the different groups of plants, a package should be
formulated which help in making the programme profitable and thus
can succeed in having a fair blending of environmental and
commercial conditions
Afforestation Mix suitable for Rural
Forestry
 In rural economy of India, due weightage needs to be assign to rural
and farm forestry for fulfilling multi- faceted needs of rural society .
 Fodder for Livestock
 Fuel wood for Kitchen
 Small Timber for house construction
 Protection of Degraded Land
 Productive Utilization of idle land
 Making Organic Manure from Cow Dung
 In addition, the mix should also take into consideration the
development of industries of different categories by supplying raw
materials such as wood for timber industry, sports items, silk
industry, bee- keeping industry, dairy industry and paper industry
which would be strong foundation for the development of small and
cottage industries
Question 3:
 In a true sense we are at the brink of an
Environmental Disaster”. In the light of this
statement justify the rationale of Innovative
Marketing for Afforestation Program?
Question 3:
Background
 India’s share of the Global Forest cover is merely 1 %
 Despite initiatives undertaken for afforestation in the
various 5 year plans, the results have been limited.
 Afforestation initiatives have not been very successful on
account of several barriers
 Lack of Awareness among the masses
 Poor support from the Govt Agencies
 Unplanned afforestation
 Lack of Financial Support
Question 3:
 The concept of Afforestation Marketing focuses on a
managerial approach in promoting afforestation which
keeps pace with our socio-economic and environmental
requirements
 The need of the hour is thus an Innovative Marketing
approach to Afforestation by looking at the entire
marketing mix and variables that impact the results.
 This is critical considering the situation that we find
ourselves with unplanned industrialization, polluted cities,
degraded forests, ecological imbalances requiring a sense
of urgency.
Why Market Afforestation ?
 Formulating an optimal afforestation mix that will ensure
that a good mix of trees & plants are selected which makes
the program commercially viable.
 Inculcating Mass Awareness so that barriers are removed
from the minds of the people.
 Making the Afforestation Cost Effective so that it becomes
a self-sustaining initiative which is commercially viable.
 Segmenting the market to identify sensitive Target
Segments.
 Developing and Improving on the Benefits the program
will have especially for the Rural Masses.
 Maintaining Ecological Balance taking into account the
geography of the region and specific needs of the local
populace.
 Transforming Afforestation from a mere program into a
mission for change.
 Thus we can see that there is a need for an Innovative
Marketing Program that integrates all the above elements to
achieve the desired results through various Marketing
Techniques.
 What we lack is the managerial proficiency and
commitment required to undertake such a mission which is
what we should aim to bridge in this session.
Question 4:
 What is the relevance of Social Forestry to the
Development of Rural India ? Discuss.
Question 4:
 Social Forestry
 Afforestation undertaken as a community development
program aimed at protecting the social / public interest,
protecting the environment, and supplying essential
materials to different category of users / industries.
 3 Key Constituents
 Rural Forestry …..Undertaken on Community Panchayat Land
 Farm Forestry…..Undertaken on Individual Farm Land
 Urban Forestry…..Undertaken in City Land.
Question 4:
 Farm Forestry
 Afforestation initiative undertaken by Individuals on their
farms lands with or without Government support.
 Benefits are as follows
 Source of supply of firewood replacing Cow Dung which can
now be used for fodder improving productivity
 Helps build a balanced rural economy through supply of
firewood, small timber and fodder meeting daily requirements
and also generating income.
 Helps protect agricultural fields against winds, sand casting &
erosion
Question 4:
 Rural Forestry
 Undertaken on Community Land, Panchayat Lands,
Degraded Forests, Road and Railway sides, canal banks, etc
 It includes restoration of derelict area bearing scars of
industrial activity like quarrying, mining, road construction,
lime burning,etc
 Rural Forestry helps supply essential raw materials to
support the cottage industry like honey, sport goods, silk,
edible oil from seeds, paper, etc.
 The rural masses also benefit by way of employment
opportunity the initiative provides
Question 4:
 In order to make this work 2 important issues are
 (1) Optimal Blend of Rural & Farm Forestry
 (2) To formulate a mix of different groups of trees found
commercially viable, environmentally friendly and geographically
acceptable.

 A fair blend of Rural Forestry and Farm Forestry is a

crying need of the rural economy and if we professionally
manage the afforestation it will have a great economic and
social impact besides protecting the environment.
Question 5:
 A crying need of the hour is to inculcate Mass Tree
Consciousness”. Discuss this statement in the face
of creative promotional strategies that you expect
to be more sensitive in the Indian Setting.
Question 5:
 The biggest barrier to change is resistance from people
especially with illiteracy levels being high, people are not
sensitive to the need for afforestation

 The challenge here is to create mass awareness about the

need for afforestation by effectively selling the benefits of
these initiatives.

 If we succeed in creating awareness, the “Tree

Consciousness” among the masses would remove all the
hurdles in the implementation of the program.
Question 5:
 Segmentation – Target each segment differently…In polluted
cities and specific areas people would be more affected by the
environmental degradation.

 Mass Media needs to be used and Creative Advertisements that

draw attention and simulate interests.

 In rural areas, it is important to take the help of Opinion Leaders

like Panchayat Heads, to drive the message across to community.

 In a rural setting, religious sentimental values associated with

trees (eg. Pipal, Neem) can be exploited to reach out to an
audience who may not be receptive to logic.
Question 5:
 Financial incentives can be offered to the farmers for
undertaking afforestation where the idle land is provided by the
Govt and benefits of the trees grown are shared by the individual.

 Govt Personnel to be trained effectively to manage the

promotion activity, be given adequate incentives to motivate
them to convince people.

 Folk songs, dramas, road shows to be organized to create

awareness among the masses.

 Public Relation Tools to be used by organizing events,

conferences that get media coverage and draw attention to the
need for afforestation.
Question 5:
 Govt can tie-up with schools where children are involved in planting
saplings so that the tree consciousness is created at a young &
impressionable age.

 Seminars to be organized in villages during gathering highlighting the

“Economic” benefits – when they see potential for additional income
they would be attracted to contribute.

 Service Providers can encourage their consumers to subscribe to email

bills and help reduce paper consumption, thereby saving trees. Example
– Idea Campaign on Ebills.

 Govt can tie-up with Service Providers, Websites, where urban

population can contribute financially to Afforestation initiatives.
Question 5:
 Govt should initiate a national day for Tree Plantation
with several celebrities appealing to different section
of the population being involved in the initiatives.

 Town / City planners to be educated on the need for

Afforestation and how it can help improve the
aesthetics of the city besides being environmentally
friendly.
Thank you