Page 149 - Area 9 - Relevant Document

I. INTRODUCTION

One of the leading causes of forest destruction is shifting cultivation. It is
estimated that there are close to 9 million people dependent on shifting
cultivation. Over 4 million hectares are currently under this type of farming.
The story of shifting cultivation is all too familiar. Clearing, burning, and
shifting to a new site was observed and the cycle goes on and on. When the
upland farmer felt to have low yield due to poor soil productivity, the area is
abandoned. The abandoned area is “fallowed” to regenerate soil fertility. As
population of farmers increases, there is less land to shift to and follow period
decreases. Thus, the soil is not given enough time to recover. The effect is
especially pronounced in steep areas where the erosion is very rapid, Brown &
Schreckenberg, 1998; Connelly, 1992.

Upland farmers could not totally be blamed. They go to the mountain
not to enrich themselves but to simply make out a living.

The government who is the caretaker of our forest is then faced with
dilemma that the upland needs to be forested while at the same time the
upland settler must be provided some form of subsistence.

It is in this context that agroforestry is an alternative land use was
“born”. Scientist and policy makers are realizing the soundness combining
woody perennial and agricultural crops. Woody perennial function to conserve
the site particularly the productivity of the soil while the later satisfies the
subsistence need of the farmers.

A key strategy in addressing the farmers and shifting cultivation is the
popularization of agroforestry in the uplands. To date more than 200 thousand
hectares are under social forestry program where agroforestry is the main
production system.

This lecture manual presented 7 lessons. Lesson 1 is all about the
definitions of agroforestry, objectives, concepts and benefits. It requires the
student to understand the meaning so that he can characterize (Lesson2) and
demonstrate or apply the classifications (Lesson 3), and even adopt the
appropriate agroforestry species (Lesson 4) that must be planted in a particular
topographical region. Once, the student understood Lessons 1 to 4, it would
be much easier in designing agroforestry system (lesson 5).

Agroforestry is an active tool for rural development, hence, it is also an
important to know the national and international offices (Lesson 7). Since, the
International center for agroforestry (ICRAF) was established in Kenya, it is also
important to know some of the agroforestry practices in kenya (Lesson 6).