Farmers for Forests (F4F), a hybrid social enterprise founded in December 2019 and headquartered in Pune, India, partners with rural communities to reclaim and regenerate degraded lands. Through biodiverse agroforestry and robust forest protection initiatives, F4F harnesses the combined power of technology, farmers, and forests to tackle climate change, arrest biodiversity loss, and alleviate rural poverty at scale.
The mission of F4F revolves around deploying evidence-based Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) models—directly compensating farmers for protecting existing forests or cultivating new ones on marginal lands. This approach not only increases farm incomes but also restores ecological health and strengthens carbon sinks. What began as a pilot in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district has rapidly expanded to Raigad, Beed, and Gadchiroli, steadily amplifying its forest-restoration footprint and fortifying climate resilience across regions.
By blending local stewardship with innovative funding and an unyielding focus on sustainability, F4F delivers climate action that is both impactful and deeply rooted in community collaboration.
At the FICCI CSR Summit and Awards, in an exclusive conversation with The Interview World, Krutika Ravishankar, Co-Founder of Farmers for Forests, shared how her organization transforms rural livelihoods. She detailed how F4F economically empowers the agrarian community, provides continuous guidance to farmers, and addresses the systemic barriers that have prevented agricultural incomes from doubling. The following insights capture the essence of her compelling vision and transformative work.
Q: In what concrete ways does Farmers for Forests intervene to strengthen the livelihoods of rural farmers while ensuring environmental sustainability?
A: We at F4F guided farmers to transition into agroforestry—a regenerative farming approach that integrates ground crops, shrubs, fruit trees, and timber trees into a multi-layered production system. This shift dramatically reduces inputs such as water, labour, and fertilisers by 60–80 percent. At the same time, it increases farmers’ earnings by nearly four times per hectare compared to their previous returns.
The benefits extend far beyond the farm. Agroforestry restores degraded land, sequesters carbon from the atmosphere, and strengthens the ecological fabric of rural landscapes. Yet, most farmers lack the technical know-how, resources, and confidence to make this shift on their own.
That is where F4F steps in. On the ground, we work hand-in-hand with them—supplying essential inputs, delivering targeted training, and offering continuous guidance. We equip them not just to adopt agroforestry, but to thrive within it. The result is a transformation that uplifts livelihoods, regenerates land, and combats climate change in unison.
Q: How do your initiatives aim to economically empower the agrarian community?
A: Our initiatives equip farmers to adapt to the harsh realities of climate change. Rainfall has grown erratic. Temperatures have soared. Pest attacks are intensifying. Farmers face these threats daily—and the stakes are rising.
By adopting our approach, they gain resilience. It mitigates the effects of unpredictable weather, curbs pest damage, and slashes their dependence on costly inputs such as water and fertilisers. As a result, they spend less while safeguarding their harvests.
The outcome is a true win-win—farmers secure stronger livelihoods, and the environment gains a powerful ally in restoration and conservation.
Q: How does F4F plan to hand-hold and mentor farmers through each stage of their journey?
A: We have built a comprehensive support system for farmers. Our dedicated on-ground team works directly in their communities, ensuring constant accessibility and guidance. Farmers can also reach us digitally—through our Instagram channel or a WhatsApp chatbot—where they find information, instructional videos, and testimonials from peers who have benefited from our programmes.
Beyond virtual access, we maintain local warehouses where farmers can purchase necessary materials and learn about the entire process firsthand. We complement these resources with free training sessions, expert advisory services, and ongoing technical support.
In essence, F4F meets farmers wherever they are—on the ground, online, or in person—ensuring they have every tool, resource, and insight needed to succeed.
Q: Which states are you currently focusing on, and what specific products or services do you offer there?
A: Our largest operations are in Maharashtra, yet our work also spans Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand.
We do not sell products. Every initiative is designed with a single purpose—making farmers more profitable. All returns, all gains, and every rupee of profit generated from our work belong entirely to the farmers themselves.
Q: What, in your assessment, are the key reasons farmers’ incomes have not doubled, and what core structural issues in agriculture are responsible for this gap?
A: Agriculture is inherently high-risk. For those of us in white-collar professions, it is difficult to grasp the magnitude of uncertainty farmers face. Their livelihoods hinge on volatile market prices, shifting government policies, unpredictable rainfall, changing climates, and fluctuating water availability. With so many variables at play, countless things can go wrong.
Unlike office work or academic preparation—where effort often correlates directly with success—farming offers no such guarantee. A farmer can do everything right, invest time, labour, and resources, and still face failure.
The financial system compounds this vulnerability. Few products are tailored for farmers. Most lack access to adequate insurance or even a basic safety net. Without addressing these structural gaps, doubling farmers’ incomes remains an elusive goal. It cannot be achieved through a single intervention. It demands a robust, interconnected ecosystem that supports farmers on every front.
