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Abstract
India possesses several advantages due to its varied ecological range and
agro-climates to cultivate several important and diverse commercial food
commodities ranging from cereals, fruits and spices to medicinal plants.
The country has abundance of human resource comprising skilled,
educated, technical and scientific manpower on one hand and unskilled
manpower on the other. Forests- and agriculture-based industries are a
major source of employment in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors
all over the country. This article has presented a brief overview of the
potential of forest and agriculture in generating employment, providing
livelihood and environmental services, sequestration of green house gases,
carbon trading, rehabilitation of degraded lands, production of fuel wood,
etc. There are clear linkages and synergies between agricultural production
and sustainable forest management. If the sustainability of the agriculture
and forests can be assured, food security and employment generation
would go in long-term perpetuity.