New Mongabay article featuring Joli Rumi Borah’s research on shifting cultivation in Northeast India

Secondary forests are gaining importance in the tropics as pristine forests are cleared. And it is vital to understand the impacts of changing patterns of shifting cultivation on carbon storage. The dynamic nature of shifting cultivation, an agricultural system practiced for centuries, results in a landscape mosaic of jhum fields, secondary forests, and old-growth forests. Many forests in northeast India are secondary forests at different stages of succession following shifting cultivation. These forests are an essential source of rural livelihood and also for multiple environmental functions such as soil and watershed conservation, flood control, and carbon storage. To address this effectively, policies need to adopt a landscape-scale approach by integrating the inherent mosaic nature of this cultivation system with various land uses and ensure cooperation between different ministries.

Read the full article here.