The Potential Role of Agroforestry in Small Holder Farmers Livelihood Improvement: A Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20372/afnr.v2i2.961Keywords:
Agroforestry, Livelihood resilience, Sustainable land managementAbstract
Rural areas, particularly those inhabited by smallholder farmers, are currently confronting a multitude of challenges, including economic, socio-cultural, and technological issues, exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Agroforestry, recognized globally as one of the most sustainable land management practices, offers a multitude of benefits to farmers. This review aims to assess the existing literature on the potential role of agroforestry in enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The findings of various scholars indicate that agroforestry practices play a significant role in contributing to food and nutritional security, improving soil fertility and productivity, modifying microclimates, sequestering carbon, and managing pests and weeds. Besides this, agroforestry offers a viable means of building livelihood resilience against floods and droughts. However, farmers are often deterred from investing in agroforestry due to the delayed realization of its benefits, goods, and services. Additionally, agroforestry products suffer from weak markets and value chains, particularly in developing countries, leading to their predominant use in household and local markets for subsistence purposes. This review concludes that agroforestry is a more suitable land use system and technology compared to monocropping practices. Therefore, it is imperative to place significant emphasis on extending these practices and technologies to farmers, landowners, and the local community.
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Journal of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Wallaga University,
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Accepted 2024-08-26
Published 2024-08-31
