Abstract:
Agroforestry is a sustainable land management approach that integrates trees, crops, and
livestock to enhance agricultural productivity, biodiversity conservation, and agroecological
resilience. Despite its potential, the role of agroforestry in enhancing landscape resilience
remains underexplored, particularly in the context of Mana and Kersa districts, Southwest
Ethiopia. This study, therefore aims at assessing the contribution of agroforestry practices in
improving household income, identifying the most common agroforestry types, and evaluating
the level of agroecological resilience in the study area. A mixed-methods approach was used,
collecting data from 200 smallholder farmers through structured surveys, key informant
interviews, and focus group discussions. Statistical analyses using SPSS Version 27 included
descriptive statistics, and Chi-square tests to determine significant variations among key
agroforestry indicators. The findings reveal that home gardens (99.5%, p < 0.001) and woodlots
(69.5%, p = 0.035) are the dominant agroforestry practices in the area. Agroforestry
significantly improved household income (p = 0.018) and access to forest products (p = 0.001),
while also stabilizing species composition and biodiversity (p = 0.001). However, food insecurity
persisted despite increased income levels (p = 0.001), indicating gaps in food production
efficiency within agroforestry systems. Radar chart analysis revealed that biodiversity
conservation and livelihood enhancement were the highest-rated benefits of agroforestry, while
governance and institutional support scored lower, highlighting the need for policy
interventions. The study concludes that agroforestry enhances agroecological resilience by
maintaining biodiversity, improving livelihoods, and mitigating land degradation. However,
challenges such as land tenure insecurity, limited market access, and inadequate institutional
support hinder broader adoption. Strengthening policy frameworks, farmer training programs,
and government support is recommended to enhance agroforestry adoption and maximize its
contribution to sustainable landscape management.
