For generations, farms and forests have often been treated as separate landscapes—one dedicated to food production and the other to nature. But as concerns around biodiversity loss, soil degradation and climate resilience grow, some farmers are exploring ways to bring the two closer together.
One approach gaining attention is the creation of Miyawaki forests—small, densely planted patches of native trees and shrubs designed to restore local vegetation. While the method is best known for creating green spaces in cities, it is also being explored on farms, field boundaries and other areas of agricultural landscapes.
These compact forests are not intended to replace productive farmland. Instead, they can provide additional space for native vegetation, birds, insects and other wildlife, particularly where agricultural land has limited natural habitat.
What Is a Miyawaki Forest?
The Miyawaki method was developed by Japanese botanist and plant ecologist Dr Akira Miyawaki, who promoted the restoration of native forests based on the vegetation that would naturally occur in a particular region.
Unlike conventional plantations that may rely on a limited number of species, the Miyawaki approach generally uses a diverse mixture of locally appropriate trees, shrubs and other plants arranged in multiple layers and planted relatively densely. The intention is to recreate some of the structure and diversity of a natural forest.
The method requires careful preparation and maintenance during the establishment phase. Watering, mulching, weed management and protection of young plants may be necessary, with the level of care depending on the local climate, soil and species selected.
Although Miyawaki forests first became particularly popular in urban areas where available land is limited, the approach is now being explored in a range of settings, including ecological restoration projects and agricultural landscapes.
Why Are Farmers Planting Forests Near Farms?
Farmers exploring this approach do not necessarily need to give up productive cropland. Forest patches can be established along field boundaries, buffer areas, degraded sections or other land that is not being actively cultivated.
One of the main motivations is biodiversity.
Agricultural landscapes can provide food for people while still offering space for nature. Native trees and shrubs can create additional habitat and provide food, shelter and nesting opportunities for birds, insects and other animals.
Flowering plants can also provide resources for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Depending on the location and species used, a forest patch may also help connect otherwise fragmented areas of vegetation, allowing wildlife to move through the wider landscape.
These benefits should not be interpreted as meaning that a small Miyawaki forest can replace a natural forest. Its ecological value depends heavily on what is planted, where it is planted and how well it is managed. But even relatively small areas of native vegetation can add habitat diversity to agricultural landscapes.
Miyawaki Forests vs Agroforestry: What Is the Difference?
The two approaches are sometimes used interchangeably, but they have different objectives.
Miyawaki forests are primarily designed around ecological restoration and the establishment of diverse native vegetation. Their main purpose is to create a forest-like ecosystem rather than produce agricultural crops.
Agroforestry, on the other hand, deliberately combines trees with crops or livestock as part of a productive farming system. Trees may be grown for fruit, timber, fodder, shade or other economic and ecological benefits.
The distinction matters because planting trees on farmland does not automatically make a project agroforestry. The design depends on what the land is intended to achieve.
How Can Small Forests Support Farm Biodiversity?
Native vegetation can provide habitat for organisms that may otherwise have fewer places to live in intensively managed agricultural areas.
Trees and shrubs offer shelter and nesting sites for birds, while flowering and fruit-bearing plants can provide food for insects and other wildlife. A greater variety of plants can also create a more complex habitat than a landscape dominated by a single crop.
The benefits are particularly relevant when forest patches are connected to existing vegetation, streams, hedgerows or other natural habitats.
Research into Miyawaki plantations is still developing, and ecological outcomes can differ substantially between locations. A 2024 study of a Miyawaki model forest at Krishi Vigyan Kendra Palakkad, for example, evaluated 47 planted species and found that the performance of individual species varied, highlighting the importance of selecting plants suited to local conditions.More recent research in Telangana has also examined bird diversity in Miyawaki plantations, documenting a range of bird species and feeding groups across different sites.
This is why the choice of native, site-appropriate species is more important than simply planting a large number of trees.
What About Soil, Water and Carbon?
The potential benefits of planting trees extend beyond biodiversity.
Tree roots can help hold soil in place and reduce erosion. Fallen leaves and other plant material gradually decompose and return organic matter to the soil. Vegetation can also influence how rainfall moves through the landscape by intercepting rain and, depending on soil and site conditions, helping water infiltrate rather than simply flowing across the surface.
Trees also store carbon in their biomass as they grow. Research on Miyawaki forests in southern India has found that carbon storage can increase substantially during the early years of forest development, although the amount varies according to factors such as site conditions, species composition and forest age.
These benefits are best understood as part of a broader landscape-restoration strategy rather than as a single solution to climate change.
Miyawaki Forests on Indian Farms
India’s varied climates and ecosystems make the question of where and how Miyawaki forests should be planted particularly important.
A successful forest in the Western Ghats, for example, cannot simply be replicated in a dry region using the same species. Local soil, rainfall, temperature, existing vegetation and water availability all influence which plants are appropriate.
There are already examples of the approach being explored in rural and farm settings.
In Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, environmental organisation FORREST worked with a 28-acre farm in the northern Western Ghats where the landowner committed the property to forest and biodiversity conservation. The project studied the surrounding natural forest and selected 95 species associated with the Western Ghats before using a Miyawaki-based restoration approach.
The project illustrates an important principle: rather than simply importing a standard list of fast-growing trees, restoration can begin by understanding the native vegetation of the landscape itself.
Miyawaki-based projects have also been established elsewhere in India. The Planet Earth Foundation, for example, has documented projects in Maharashtra that use dozens of native plant species and monitor their growth and biodiversity.
The growing interest in such projects suggests that the method is moving beyond its original association with urban greening, although its long-term ecological performance in different Indian landscapes still requires further study.
Are Miyawaki Forests a Solution for Sustainable Agriculture?
Not on their own.
A small forest patch cannot compensate for the loss of large natural ecosystems, and planting trees should not come at the expense of valuable natural grasslands, wetlands or existing habitats. Nor is every piece of farmland suitable for conversion into a forest.
The more useful question is how native vegetation can be incorporated into agricultural landscapes without undermining food production or existing ecosystems.
For some farmers, that could mean protecting existing trees and hedgerows. For others, it could involve agroforestry, native field boundaries, pollinator habitats or small restoration patches on land that is not being cultivated.
Miyawaki forests are one possible tool within this larger landscape approach.
Making Space for Nature Alongside Food
As farmers face changing weather patterns, pressure on natural resources and growing concerns about biodiversity, the relationship between agriculture and nature is being reconsidered.
The future of sustainable farming may not always be about choosing between fields and forests. It may be about designing agricultural landscapes where productive crops, native vegetation and wildlife can coexist.
A small Miyawaki forest will not recreate an ancient natural forest overnight, nor can it solve the wider challenges facing biodiversity. But when carefully designed with locally appropriate species and placed where it complements the surrounding landscape, even a small patch of native vegetation can create another space for nature.
Perhaps the bigger lesson is simple: the future of farming may depend not only on how much food we can grow, but also on how much room we leave for the ecosystems that make productive landscapes possible.
