ENTERPRISES IN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM AS A MEANS OF ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT: AWARENESS ON ITS SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

Abstract

Agroforestry practice has a long history but recently has received more attention owing to the problems long-faced on forest reserves depletion and shortage of food supply. Agroforestry is becoming accepted as a land-use system that is capable of producing both food and wood while at the same time reduce forest resource user de-pendency as a means of livelihood thereby conserving and rehabilitating ecosystems. Enterprise in agroforestry is seen as a practice that serves as an alternative to the use and overuse of forest reserve resources. This paper re-views the studies of agroforestry businesses that are capable of sustaining a household in forest communities and rural areas, especially those that depend on forest resources. It enumerated on the processes of production of Shea-butter (Vitellaria paradoxa), Mushroom, locus beans (Parkia biglobosa) and setting up of nursery for seed-ling raising as a means of livelihood. It also talks about the cost implication and accruing profits. This paper be-lieves that education/training programs on agroforestry enterprises are eminent, with the conclusion that there is a dire need for an aggressive awareness on Agroforestry enterprises to persuade forest user as a better option of means of livelihood in order to save forest reserves from depletion as well rescue forest endangered species.