Agroforestry Adoption in African Smallholder Communities: Opportunities, Challenges and Coping Mechanisms

With increasing human and livestock populations in recent decades, many communal areas in southern Africa lost their vegetative cover and face environmental degradation and shortages of food, forage and forest products. The farmers do not afford commercial inputs and need sustainable means to improve productivity. This case study of communal farmers in Zimbabwe is an analysis of prospects for the adoption of systematic groforestry innovations in African peasant communities. It shows how socio-environmental problems facing the peasants are linked to lack of woody cover and demonstrates that traditional systems can nomore accord sufficient benefits of agroforestry, hence the need for systematic approaches. Much potential for adopting new approaches exists but with critical challenges. This book gives insights into peasants' perceptions and attitudes regarding their environment; women involvement; cultural significance of indigenous trees; and it hints on how to make agroforestry adoption a success. Students and practitioners in agroforestry, environmental management and rural development can learn a great deal from this book.