Factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry by smallholder farmer households in Tanzania: Case studies from Morogoro and Dodoma

Abstract

The adoption of agricultural innovations is a critical adaptation mechanism for smallholder farmers to prepare and deal with potential shocks and uncertainty. Agroforestry is proven to be highly impactful at improving the adaptive capacity of farmers, the resilience of local farming systems and in providing diversified livelihood benefits. The adoption of agroforestry in Tanzania is generally uneven, with some successes and some failures and could be better supported. To do so, understanding the most significant factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry is key. Logistic regression (logit model) is used to analyse household survey data collected from 697 smallholder farmers. Results indicate that only 71 farmers (10.19 %) report planting new trees and actively practicing agroforestry. Farmers who are part of a project, are able to rent land and have a source of seedlings are more likely to adopt agroforestry. When farmers perceive rainfall to be changing, their land rights to be only moderately secure and their right to plant trees to be dependent on obtaining permission from the land owner or family members, they are less likely to adopt agroforestry. If the farmer perceives the land to be relatively fertile and has the intention to improve or maintain the fertility of his plot in the future then the likelihood of adopting agroforestry increases. Policy interventions ought to promote the participation of farmers in agroforestry projects to facilitate knowledge and experience building. Policy interventions should provide a reliable source of agroforestry inputs, such as seedlings to ensure that the resource requirements for agroforestry are well fulfilled. Farmer perceptions of land and agroforestry rights must be emphasized, clarified and streamlined to facilitate better policies. Farmer perceptions related to rainfall and soil fertility highlight a lack of awareness concerning the soil and water conservation benefits of agroforestry. Therefore, these must be better addressed through improved education and extension services. Consideration of farmer perceptions is crucial for the adoption of agroforestry.