Sustainable Green Initiative (SGI) Foundation

How the project works

The Sustainable Green Initiative (SGI) Foundation works with small and marginal farmers across 16 Indian states, empowering them to restore degraded land through agroforestry. Fruit, timber, and medicinal tree varieties are selected based on local soil conditions and market demand, ensuring that each tree planted creates both ecological and economic value for the families who tend them.

SGI provides end-to-end support: natural fertilizers, mycorrhizal inoculants, vegetable seeds, and agronomic training are given to farmers at no cost. Over 60% of species planted are fruit-bearing, with many producing income within the first year - adding approximately ₹500 per tree annually to household revenue and collectively generating tens of millions of rupees in economic value across participating communities.

Beyond income, the program builds soil health and carbon storage at scale. Diverse multi-storey canopy structures replace monocultures, restoring pollinator habitats, reducing water runoff, and sequestering significant amounts of atmospheric CO₂. India's vast agricultural landmass makes this one of the highest-leverage tree-planting frontiers in the world.