India, Oct. 18 -- Travelling across Lakhisarai district in northeastern Bihar, one is bound to see field after field of paddy, the crop grown here for generations. But as one approaches Durdih village, the paddy fields are divided by small agroforestry farms, filled with pulses and vegetables.

A little over 4 hectares (ha) in Durdih is under agroforestry, says Neeraj Kumar, a resident of the village. Of this, 2.8 ha are farm plots, and the rest are kitchen gardens adjoining houses. "These agroforestry farms are a part of our effort to break the village's dependence on paddy monoculture," he says.

Kumar started the agroforestry initiative in 2018, after returning from Karnataka. "I studied law at the Karnataka State Law University, but I...