Aspirations, ambitions and the adoption of diverse fruit trees – a case study of the livelihood effects in Kenya
Current food production systems all over the world face numerous challenges. Particularly smallholder farming in sub-Saharan Africa is in substantial need of sustainable solutions. Yet, the adoption of already existing sustainable agricultural practices such as agroforestry often remains low. This p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Trees, Forests and People |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719324000517 |
| _version_ | 1797220453325996032 |
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| author | Luzia Deißler Kai Mausch Ulrike Grote Alice Karanja Stepha McMullin |
| author_facet | Luzia Deißler Kai Mausch Ulrike Grote Alice Karanja Stepha McMullin |
| author_sort | Luzia Deißler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Current food production systems all over the world face numerous challenges. Particularly smallholder farming in sub-Saharan Africa is in substantial need of sustainable solutions. Yet, the adoption of already existing sustainable agricultural practices such as agroforestry often remains low. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of smallholders’ decision-making processes for agroforestry adoption. Using the example of a CIFOR-ICRAF agroforestry project (Fruit Tree Portfolios), we examine the associated influences of ambition and livelihood aspirations on adoption and assess the impact of agroforestry on household well-being. We conduct several statistical analyses, including a logistic regression on the influence of ambitions and aspirations on adoption, and a linear regression with endogenous treatment effects and propensity score matching to assess the impact of adoption on well-being. The analyses are based on a primary data set collected from rural Kenyan households that participated in the project in 2021.We confirm the inverted U-shaped relationship between ambition and the willingness to take proactive steps, in this case the adoption of agroforestry, and emphasize its relevance for decision-making processes. In addition, livelihood aspirations towards off- or on-farm activities promoted the likelihood of adoption. Due to the versatility of integrating fruit trees into farms, they can serve both market- and food security-oriented purposes and thus supporting livelihoods in multiple ways. This is confirmed by the positive results of adoption on household well-being in terms of food security and household income. In summary, the inclusion of cognitive factors such as ambition and livelihood aspirations can help explain the adoption decisions of smallholder households and support inclusive and customized project designs. In the long term, these findings could have the potential to ensure that development interventions are adopted more successfully. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:49:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3cc173e34a7246d392e532987e9d81e5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-7193 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:49:47Z |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Trees, Forests and People |
| spelling | doaj.art-3cc173e34a7246d392e532987e9d81e52024-04-06T04:40:39ZengElsevierTrees, Forests and People2666-71932024-06-0116100544Aspirations, ambitions and the adoption of diverse fruit trees – a case study of the livelihood effects in KenyaLuzia Deißler0Kai Mausch1Ulrike Grote2Alice Karanja3Stepha McMullin4Leibniz University Hannover, Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade, Hannover, Germany; Corresponding author.Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)-World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya and Bonn, GermanyLeibniz University Hannover, Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade, Hannover, GermanyCenter for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)-World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, KenyaCenter for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)-World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, KenyaCurrent food production systems all over the world face numerous challenges. Particularly smallholder farming in sub-Saharan Africa is in substantial need of sustainable solutions. Yet, the adoption of already existing sustainable agricultural practices such as agroforestry often remains low. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of smallholders’ decision-making processes for agroforestry adoption. Using the example of a CIFOR-ICRAF agroforestry project (Fruit Tree Portfolios), we examine the associated influences of ambition and livelihood aspirations on adoption and assess the impact of agroforestry on household well-being. We conduct several statistical analyses, including a logistic regression on the influence of ambitions and aspirations on adoption, and a linear regression with endogenous treatment effects and propensity score matching to assess the impact of adoption on well-being. The analyses are based on a primary data set collected from rural Kenyan households that participated in the project in 2021.We confirm the inverted U-shaped relationship between ambition and the willingness to take proactive steps, in this case the adoption of agroforestry, and emphasize its relevance for decision-making processes. In addition, livelihood aspirations towards off- or on-farm activities promoted the likelihood of adoption. Due to the versatility of integrating fruit trees into farms, they can serve both market- and food security-oriented purposes and thus supporting livelihoods in multiple ways. This is confirmed by the positive results of adoption on household well-being in terms of food security and household income. In summary, the inclusion of cognitive factors such as ambition and livelihood aspirations can help explain the adoption decisions of smallholder households and support inclusive and customized project designs. In the long term, these findings could have the potential to ensure that development interventions are adopted more successfully.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719324000517Smallholder farmingAgroforestryAmbitionFood securityIncome |
| spellingShingle | Luzia Deißler Kai Mausch Ulrike Grote Alice Karanja Stepha McMullin Aspirations, ambitions and the adoption of diverse fruit trees – a case study of the livelihood effects in Kenya Trees, Forests and People Smallholder farming Agroforestry Ambition Food security Income |
| title | Aspirations, ambitions and the adoption of diverse fruit trees – a case study of the livelihood effects in Kenya |
| title_full | Aspirations, ambitions and the adoption of diverse fruit trees – a case study of the livelihood effects in Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Aspirations, ambitions and the adoption of diverse fruit trees – a case study of the livelihood effects in Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aspirations, ambitions and the adoption of diverse fruit trees – a case study of the livelihood effects in Kenya |
| title_short | Aspirations, ambitions and the adoption of diverse fruit trees – a case study of the livelihood effects in Kenya |
| title_sort | aspirations ambitions and the adoption of diverse fruit trees a case study of the livelihood effects in kenya |
| topic | Smallholder farming Agroforestry Ambition Food security Income |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666719324000517 |
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