Forests, Plantations and Agroforestry as Green Shields for Climate-Resilient Food Production and Ecosystem Services: A Global Review

Nirakar Bhol; Subhasmita Parida; Sushree Rojalina Mahapatra; Prajnashree Mallick

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.64950

Forests, Plantations and Agroforestry as Green Shields for Climate-Resilient Food Production and Ecosystem Services: A Global Review

Author(s)	Dr. Nirakar Bhol, Dr. Subhasmita Parida, Ms. Sushree Rojalina Mahapatra, Ms. Prajnashree Mallick
Country	India
Abstract	Climate change poses significant threats to global food production, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Nature-based solutions, particularly tree-based land-use systems such as forests, plantations, and agroforestry, play critical roles as “green shields” by mitigating climate impacts and enhancing resilience in agricultural landscapes. This review synthesizes recent global evidence on the multifunctional contributions of these systems to carbon sequestration, microclimate regulation, soil and water conservation, biodiversity support, and livelihood diversification. Forests, as the largest terrestrial carbon sinks, provide vital ecological stability and support food systems indirectly through ecosystem services. Plantations contribute substantially to carbon storage and rural livelihoods but face challenges related to biodiversity and water regulation, especially in monocultures. Agroforestry integrates trees with crops and livestock, offering a highly resilient land-use approach that improves food production, soil fertility, water management, and carbon capture while supporting diverse livelihoods. Comparative analyses underscore agroforestry’s unique balance of high carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and direct food security benefits, positioning it as a versatile climate-resilient strategy. The review also highlights challenges such as land-use pressures, policy gaps, and monitoring complexities, and recommends stronger integration of green shields into national climate and food security policies through incentives, collaborative governance, and tailored management practices. Enhancing these systems’ effectiveness is essential for sustainable development and global climate adaptation and mitigation goals.
Keywords	Forests, Plantations, Agroforestry, Climate change, Food security, Ecosystem services, Green shields
Field	Biology > Agriculture / Botany
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On	2025-12-28
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.64950

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Forests, Plantations and Agroforestry as Green Shields for Climate-Resilient Food Production and Ecosystem Services: A Global Review

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