The movement on World Environment Day said the tree-based farming model promoted by Save Soil-Cauvery Calling has increased farm income in the Cauvery basin from about Rs 30,000 to Rs 2.5-3 lakh per acre.“Tree-based agriculture is an economic solution to an ecological problem,” said Anand Ethirajalu, project director of Save Soil-Kaveri Calling. He urged the government to accelerate farmer-friendly policies and incentives. The movement is recognized by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Environment Programme.A major beneficiary, farmer Valluvan of Pollachi, transformed a loss-making coconut monoculture into a diverse food forest in 2009. He now grows 13 species including nutmeg, several varieties of banana, fruit trees, betel nut, curry leaves, turmeric and elephant yam. Valluvan says his earnings increased from about Rs 30,000 per acre to Rs 2.5-3 lakh per acre annually. The organic carbon in the soil of his farm increased from about 0.52% to 3.36%, while coconut yields increased from about 100 nuts per tree to about 160, and average nut weight increased from about 400 grams to 550 grams.Valluvan’s regenerative practices, mulching, cover-cropping and rainwater harvesting helped his farm survive the 2017 drought and reduce erosion during heavy rains. Their restoration work is documented in the UNCCD-WOCAT global database and certified by the Tamil Nadu Organic Certification Department. He now trains other farmers on this model.Save Soil-Kaveri Calling aims to plant 242 crore trees in the fields of Cauvery Basin. To date it has supported 2.6 lakh farmers and enabled the planting of 13.4 crore trees. The movement runs Asia’s largest single-site nursery in Cuddalore, managed by over 200 women, with a production capacity of 85 lakh plants; A second nursery in Tiruvannamalai produces 15 lakh saplings.The nurseries supply saplings through 45 distribution centers in Tamil Nadu and eight in Karnataka. Farmers can choose from 54 varieties, which include 29 wood species like teak, red sandalwood, rosewood and mahogany. A subsidy of Rs 5 is given on timber saplings and Rs 10 on fruit and flower saplings, said operations head Tamizhamaran.The movement says more than 200 regional officials will visit more than 26,500 farms in 2025 to provide free consultations before and after planting covering soil type, depth, water conditions and species recommendations. It also runs 225 WhatsApp groups that provide real-time assistance to over 60,000 farmers and a daily helpline from 9 am to 9 pm.In 2025, three mega training programs reached over 14,000 farmers with experts from institutions including IISR, IIHR, KFRI, ICFRE, TNAU and Central Ground Water Board. Save Soil-Kaveri Calling is part of the broader Save Soil movement, along with Save Soil Regenerative Revolution (SS-RR) and Save Soil Farmers Movement, which focus on regenerative farming training and organizing farmer producer organizations, respectively.As of March 31, 2026, SS-RR reported 532 training programs reaching 40,311 farmers, 54,982 farmers added to WhatsApp advisory groups, 185 farmers completed three-month internships, and created a digital library of 1,260 technical videos with 296 million views and 1.18 million subscribers.