Food Forest Project | 18 May 2022

Why in News?

• Recently, a spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh government said that under 'Food Forest', an innovative initiative launched to conserve the environment by increasing greenery, fifteen districts of different agro-climatic zones have been identified where food forests will be developed.

Key Points

• The districts identified for this project are Bijnor, Amroha and Saharanpur of the mango belt, Sambhal, Rampur, and Badaun of the guava belt. Similarly, fruit saplings will also be planted in other districts of Bulandshahr, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, Gorakhpur and Gautam Budh Nagar.
• The selection of plants in the food forest will be done according to the agro-climatic zone. Pulses crops will also be planted for nitrogen fixation in a natural way.
• The primary objective of the government through the Food Court is to increase the income of the farmers. This is possible only through agricultural diversification rather than traditional cultivation of paddy and wheat.
• For example, mango, guava, pomegranate and papaya saplings will be planted in the first phase of the food forest to be developed in Gorakhpur. In the second phase, saplings of Jamun, ‘Ber (jujube) will be planted. In the third phase, pulses like tur, moong, urad, peas and gram will be sown.