Coffee in Karnataka’s hill districts has always grown among trees, and those trees can do far more for farmers than provide shade. To explore this potential, Fairtrade NAPP collaborated with the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru, to conduct a training programme on tree-based farming and cultivation systems for Fairtrade certified coffee producer organisations. Sixteen farmers from Malenadu Savayava Krishi Parivar and Gomathe Savayava Krushi Sangha attended the programme at Vana Vignana Kendra, GKVK, Bengaluru, on 24 June 2026.

The training was inaugurated by Dr. S. V. Suresh, Vice Chancellor, UAS Bengaluru, with Shri Rajesh S. Kallaje, Scientist and Group Coordinator (Research), ICFRE-IWST, Bengaluru, as the chief guest, and a presidential address by Dr. Mudalagiriyappa, Director of Research, UAS Bengaluru. Dr. Raghu, Professor and Nodal Officer, Forest Science Centre, UAS Bengaluru, anchored the programme. Through four technical sessions and a visit to a leading wood research institute, the farmers gained practical direction on making trees a source of healthier soils, stronger harvests and additional income, and every participant received a certificate marking the training.

Trees That Work for the Farm

The day changed how farmers look at the quiet work trees already do on their estates. In the session on the global environmental services of trees in coffee and forest based farming systems, Dr. K. M. Nanayya, Assistant Professor at the College of Forestry, Ponnampet, Kodagu, explained how trees integrated into coffee farms support soil fertility and nutrient management, conserve biodiversity and make farming systems better able to withstand climate variability. For the participants, this turned familiar shade trees into assets to be managed with intent. They returned home with a clearer understanding of how soil health, ecosystem services and tree cover connect to the productivity and long-term sustainability of their coffee.

“We have gained knowledge on which tree species to grow in our coffee estates, how to protect the trees for the next generation, and the value addition of making different products from trees. The visit to the Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute, Bengaluru, was a great experience for all of us.”

- Devaraju B E, Farmer, Gomathe Savayava Krushi Sangha

The Right Tree for the Right Purpose

Choosing what to plant is as important as choosing to plant, and two sessions gave farmers the tools to decide. Mr. K. N. Moorthy, former Scientist-C and Founder of the Tree Land Foundation, Bengaluru, walked participants through market opportunities for tree-based products, while Mr. N. Vinay Gupta, Founder of SLV Saw Mills and Timber Enterprise, Bengaluru, detailed the tree species suited to tree farming and value addition. Farmers could relate the discussions directly to their own land, and left with practical knowledge of which species to grow, how timber and allied products move through the value chain, and how trees can diversify household income beyond coffee. The lively interaction with the experts meant that questions from the participants’ own estates were answered on the spot.

The Right Tree for the Right Purpose

Choosing what to plant is as important as choosing to plant, and two sessions gave farmers the tools to decide. Mr. K. N. Moorthy, former Scientist-C and Founder of the Tree Land Foundation, Bengaluru, walked participants through market opportunities for tree-based products, while Mr. N. Vinay Gupta, Founder of SLV Saw Mills and Timber Enterprise, Bengaluru, detailed the tree species suited to tree farming and value addition. Farmers could relate the discussions directly to their own land, and left with practical knowledge of which species to grow, how timber and allied products move through the value chain, and how trees can diversify household income beyond coffee. The lively interaction with the experts meant that questions from the participants’ own estates were answered on the spot.

Small Pollinators, Stronger Harvests

Bees earned a special place in the day’s discussions. Dr. K. S. Jagadish, Professor and Head of the Department of Apiculture, GKVK, explained the role of pollinators in coffee-based agroforestry production systems and showed how keeping bees on coffee farms supports pollination and fruit set while adding honey as a farm product. For the farmers, beekeeping emerged as a low-investment practice that works hand in hand with tree-based farming, strengthening both the coffee harvest and the farm’s income basket.

“The programme on tree-based farming systems in coffee was very well organised, with useful technical sessions that we can adopt in our day-to-day activities. The sessions on soil, tree cultivation, market opportunities for different trees and the importance of beekeeping in enhancing coffee yield were extremely useful. The visit to IPIRTI was a wonderful experience, and we learnt many things from the institute.”

-  Mahabaleshwara Hegde, Farmer, Malenadu Savayava Krishi Parivar

From Farm Trees to Finished Products

In the afternoon, the participants visited the Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute (IPIRTI), Bengaluru, an internationally recognised centre of expertise in wood science and technology. The institute’s experts demonstrated how plywood, particle board and bamboo-based products are made from different tree species, and shared how their research supports the standardisation of wood product development. Seeing finished products emerge from the kinds of trees they grow on their own farms made value addition tangible for the farmers. The visit sparked a concrete ambition: the producer organisations expressed interest in setting up a unit for wood-based product manufacturing, a step that could keep more of the value from their trees within their own communities.

The Road Ahead

The farmers returned to their estates with plans to put the practices learnt during the session to work, from selecting tree species with intent to exploring beekeeping alongside their coffee. The interest in a wood-based product manufacturing unit gives the two producer organisations a shared ambition to take forward with Fairtrade NAPP and its partners. Participants also identified an area where clearer guidance would smooth the journey: harvesting farm-grown trees requires permission from the Forest Department, and greater awareness of the rules on tree cutting would make it easier for farmers to plan timber as an income source.