Analysis of socio-economic and environmental contribution of agroforestry systems to smallholder farmers around jimma town, southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Integration of trees into land use practices which is commonly known as agroforestry system is an old aged experience of smallholder farmers in Southwest Ethiopia. There is a tenet that treebased land use approach has socio-economic and environmental contributions. The objective of this study was, therefore, to assess how the smallholder farmers appreciate agroforestry system from the perspective of socio-economic and environmental contributions around Jimma town, Southwest Ethiopia. A total of 199 households were calculated and proportionally distributed to three selected sites (Mazora, Waro kolobo, and Merawa). Semi- structured and structured questionnaires were employed to collect the data. Data were analyzed using descriptive and econometric model. The result shows that tree-based agroforestry land use practice is an integral part of smallholder farmers’ livelihoods in the study sites. Tree has socio-economic, cultural and environmental benefits. An average household income from trees was estimated to be 2592 ETB, 4652 ETB and 1922 ETB in Mazora, Waro kolobo, and Merawa sites, respectively. Smallholder farmers appreciate trees more importantly from the socio-economic point of views in home garden; pasture land and woodlot, while highly appreciate from environmental point of views in farmland and coffee farm across sites. More trees were recorded in home gardens across the three sites. Generally, species preference was vary across the land uses and sites. Education level, tree planting experience and land holding were positively and significantly influencing income derived from tree products, while livestock possession and major livelihood activity were negatively and significantly affecting income in the study sites. In general, tree-based agroforestry land use practice is the most crucial for improving livelihoods of smallholder households and environmental quality. Therefore, Tree-based agroforestry land use practice should be encouraged in the study sites.