The Role of Agroforestry for Livelihood Improvement in Ethiopia

Abstract

Agroforestry, the intentional integration of trees with crops and/or livestock plays a critical role in enhancing rural livelihoods while addressing environmental challenges in Ethiopia. This review synthesizes evidence from various agroforestry systems, including homegardens, parklands, boundary plantings, silvopastoral, and agrosilvicultural practices, to evaluate their contributions to food security, income diversification, soil fertility, and climate resilience. Studies indicate that agroforestry can contribute up to 40–50% of household income and improve crop yields by 20–30% through soil fertility enhancement. In addition, agroforestry systems sequester approximately 1.5–3.5 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, significantly higher than conventional croplands (<1 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), while total carbon storage ranges from 50 to 150 Mg C ha⁻¹ depending on system type and management. Despite its potential, adoption is constrained by land tenure insecurity, limited technical capacity, poor market access, delayed economic returns, climate stresses, and institutional fragmentation. Opportunities for scaling include strengthening research extension farmer linkages, developing value chains, integrating agroforestry into land-use and watershed management, supporting community-based nurseries, and mobilizing climate finance. With coordinated policy support, investment, and capacity building, agroforestry can serve as a transformative pathway toward sustainable livelihoods, ecological restoration, and climate resilience in Ethiopia.