TOFI is a key initiative for conserving nature while benefiting the livelihoods of millions of people. TOFI has three major objectives.
1
Strengthen the enabling environment for the expansion of area under trees outside forests by increasing the resource base, certifying products derived from trees and regulating their trade to boost sustainable and equitable value chains, standardising quality planting material and aligning state and national policies.
2
Expand the area under trees outside forests by incentivising and reducing risks for scaling up tree-based enterprises through establishment of business incubation and extension hubs, enhancing business support and financial services, improving access to quality planting material through high-tech, large and medium-scale nurseries, and creating Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes to establish and maintain ecological and economic tree species in mainstream farming systems and landscapes.
3
Improve access to quality and actionable information about trees outside forests by enhancing the delivery of technical information and extension services for expanding the scale of trees outside forests and their related products, promoting access to technical and market-related information through a virtual call centre and online dashboard, promoting smartphone applications to inform technical decisions on the integration of trees into farming systems and landscapes, and carrying out solution-oriented research and outreach to accelerate expansion and impact in the targeted states.
