Multi-purpose nursery (William Akwanyi)
Agroforestry involves the integration of trees and/ or shrubs in a farming system on the same land where crops or pastures are grown. It offers significant environmental, economic, and social benefits. Agroforestry also enables farmers to diversify their on-farm income. Furthermore, it contributes to climate change adaptation and mitigation and improves the environment within the farm, especially soils. However, not every farmer is willing to adopt agroforestry. Trees and shrubs take up space that would have been dedicated to crops or pasture: this is a primary reason why farmers are not willing to plant trees and/ or shrubs on their farms. Similarly, many farmers do not clearly understand the values of some trees and shrubs. It is, therefore, essential to overcome the barriers to adopting agroforestry among farmers.
The ProSoil project has created awareness among farmers in Kakamega, Bungoma, and Siaya Counties about the more efficient and profitable tree and shrub-based value chains to attract farmers to agroforestry and pave the way for greater uptake. The farmers were targeted through their groups. Each group consisting of about 25 farmers, and with at least 30% women. Farmers are introduced to trees and/ or shrubs that blend well with their farming system. In addition, farmers choose trees and/ or shrubs based on the sizes of their farming land and their respective benefits. Farmers can plant trees and shrubs as single stands or integrate them into farming land. They can also plant agroforestry trees around their homesteads. A single stand can have, for example, mangos, avocados, and/or other trees. The project advocates for a more sustainable win-win approach where farmers and the environment benefit from an agroforestry system. Some of the benefits of trees and shrubs, as highlighted by the project, include the following:
a) Soil erosion control: trees and shrubs are planted on across slopes to slow down runoff and trap sediment (consequently, accumulating soil – this can form terraces after several years). Their roots hold the soil in place and reduce the impact of moving water.
b) Stabilising stream banks and gullies (e.g., Leucaena leucocephala, Sesbania grandiflora, Moringa oleifera, etc.): help to reduce soil erosion along streams and gullies when planted at the medium- to high-level watermark. Their roots hold the soil in place and reduce the impact of moving water.
c) Green manure (e.g., Sesbania sesban, Tithonia sp., etc.): from foliage and twigs.
d) Live fences (e.g., Tithonia sp.): used as boundaries to provide privacy and protection from browsing animals.
e) Windbreakers (e.g., Casuarina equisetifolia, Grevillea robusta, Leucaena leucocephala, etc.): planted in one or two rows/ lines closely together along the edges of the farm and perpendicular to winds to protect crops, soils, and structures from the detrimental effects of wind.
f) Fodder (e.g., Grevillea robusta, Sesbania sesban, Leucaena leucocephala, etc.): foliage is food for livestock.
g) Food (e.g., mangoes, avocadoes, etc.): a human food source.
h) Carbon sequestration (all trees and shrubs): they act as carbon sinks by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
地点: Nyagudha village, South Sakwa Ward, Bondo Sub-county, Siaya County, Nyanza Region, 肯尼亚
启动日期: 2019
终止年份: 不适用
方法的类型
| 该方法涉及哪些利益相关者/执行机构？ | 指定利益相关者 | 说明利益相关者的角色 |
| 当地土地使用者/当地社区 | Farmers, farmer groups (women, youth, and mixed gender) | Recipients of the trainings in agroforestry. |
| SLM专家/农业顾问 | GIZ ProSoil project SLM specialists; specialists from the implementing partner, Welthungerhilfe; and county SLM specialists from the departments of agriculture and environment. | Provides technical advice to the farmers and link farmers to markets and tree nurseries. |
| 地方政府 | County government agriculture and environment departments | Provides technical advice to the farmers and link farmers to markets and tree nurseries. |
| 国际组织 | GIZ | Financial support to the technical team and farmers during capacity building. |
The ProSoil project (GIZ and WHH) provides financial (transport reimbursement) and material (seedlings) support to farmers through their groups (Ndati Development Self-Help Group). The project also facilitates the county departments of Agriculture and Environment to train farmers in agroforestry and increase their awareness about the socio-economic and ecological benefits of different trees. at the farm.
决策是由......做出的
决策是基于
1. Different trees in agroforestry and their benefits
2. Tree nursery management
3. Grafting
4. Agroforestry systems
5. Value addition to agroforestry products and marketing
Linkage to markets for the tree and shrub products. GIZ, WHH, and the county department of agriculture and environmental invite farmers to field days where the farmer can link up with potential markets.
Farmers were empowered with skill on how to propagate trees. Stakeholder participation was enhanced through collaboration with other actors such as the county government.
Farmers were motivated to plant some trees and shrubs on their farms after benchmarking farms which had established and benefited from similar trees.
After learning about the importance of different trees, farmers incorporated trees in their farming systems e.g., planting trees and/ or shrubs in vegetative cross slope barriers.
The trainings given to farmers included how to plant different trees and areas within a farm setting where such trees are best suited. This knowledge was helpful in the incorporation of trees in the implementation of vegetative cross-slope barriers, green manure cover crops, and retention ditches.
Planting of quick growing shrubs has provided source of fuel wood at the household level reducing conflicts resulting in neighbouring farmers invading farms for fuel wood
Some of the agroforestry trees promoted under the different technologies and for which this approach sought to create awareness about are sources of food.
The trainings include linking farmers to market for some of the agroforestry products.
Some of the trees are sources of food during months when there is scarcity of food e.g., mangoes mature mostly during the dry season when there is scarcity of food in the households.
Some farmers have established tree nurseries. They sell tree seedlings to earn income. Some have employed tree nursery operators.
Farmers have established group tree nurseries as sources of seedlings and income. Some of the trees promoted under this approach can easily be propagated by farmers.
