Abstract:
Information on significant contributions of agroforestry practices for natural resource
conservation and factors affecting adoption of these practices by farmers in the North Bench
district, Bench Maji Zone, is scant. Therefore, this study was conducted with the objective to
assess the factors affecting adoption of agroforestry practices by farm households. Farm
household head data on demographic, socio-economic, institutional and psychological and
physical factors were collected from 120 randomly selected households in the district. A
multi-stage random sampling procedure was employed to select the sample farm household
heads. The data which was gathered using a structured interview schedule, focus group
discussions and key informants interviews, were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Inferential statistics such as T-test and Chi-square 2 tests were also used to test the
hypotheses. The survey result showed that 50.83% and 49.17% of the sampled farm
households were adopters and non-adopters of agroforestry practices, respectively. A binary
logistic regression model was fitted to analyze the potential variables affecting adoption of
agroforestry practices. among 14 explanatory variables included in the logistic model, four
of them were significant at less than 1% and 5% probability level, and results of the logistic
regression analysis indicates that the households’ educational levels, extension service,
distance from nursery site and perception of deforestation respectively affected the adoption
of agroforestry practices positively. It is based on empirical evidence gathered from
households in the study areas. The study findings showed that education level of the
household head, extension service, and distance from nursery site and perception of
deforestation affect the adoption of agroforestry technologies in the study areas significantly
and with the higher magnitudes of the odds ratios. These variables need to be considered in
all the initiatives by government and non-governmental organizations to promote
agroforestry as a strategy to realize integrated rural development in the study areas. These
findings have policy implications to advance integrated sustainable rural development
strategies. The local government in the study areas can use the promotion of agroforestry
technologies for multiple purposes, particularly as a tool toward rural poverty alleviation
and climate change mitigation measures and strong collaboration among policy makers,
researchers and extension providers should be required to harmonise measages to be delivered
to farming communities.
