Existing agroforestry practices and their contribution to the socio-economic condition of the people of west Nawalparasi, Nepal: A case study
https://doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2022.0701019
Abstract
The modern agroforestry systems have the potential to improve livelihood through the
production of food, fodder, and firewood as well as mitigation of the impact of climate change. Therefore, it's high time to study local people's perception towards agroforestry adoption and suggest potential agroforestry practices and their benefits for the upliftment of their livelihood. This research was conducted in Susta rural municipality, Pratappur rural municipality, and Bardaghat municipality of Nawalaparasi (West) district to explore the existing agroforestry practices followed by the people, its contribution to the economy of households, to understand the people's perception/attitude towards its adoption and finally to propose the potential agroforestry practices. Primary data were collected using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools and secondary information through journals and reports. The analysis begins with distinguishing agroforestry systems and practices, preference of trees, benefits through these practices, people's perception, and problems regarding these practices. A total of 39 tree species and 30 food crop species were planted by 282 household people surveyed. Mangifera indica (relative prevalence 25.92%) is the most predominant fruit species whereas Dalbergia sissoo (relative prevalence 21.28%) is the most predominant timber species. It was found that the boundary planting pattern of the agroforestry system is most (40%) used by farmers of Parasi. The result demonstrated that agroforestry aids in the improvement of livelihood. Nevertheless, respondents have experienced increment incidences of pests and diseases to the annual crops and trees. Hence, the provision of training to improve the skills and knowledge of households seem to be the major need to flourish the agroforestry practices.
Keywords:
Boundary plantation, Livelihood, Relative prevalence, Species compositionDownloads
References
Amatya S. M., Cedamon E., & Nuberg I. (2018), agroforestry systems and practices in Nepal-Revised Edition, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Nepal, 108pp + xviii
Atreya, K., Subedi, B. P., Ghimire, P. L., Khanal, S. C., Charmakar, S., & Adhikari, R. (2021). Agroforestry for mountain development: Prospects, challenges and ways forward in Nepal. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 6(1), 87-99, https://dx.doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2021.0601012
Bugayong, L. A. (2003). Socioeconomic and environmental benefits of agroforestry practices in a community-based forest management site in the Philippines. In International Conference on Rural Livelihoods, Forests and Biodiversity (pp. 19-23).
Cedamon, E., Nuberg, I., Pandit, B. H., & Shrestha, K. K. (2018). Adaptation factors and futures of agroforestry systems in Nepal. Agroforestry Systems, 92(5), 1437–1453.
Central Bureau of Statistics. Annual household survey; Central Bureau of Statistics: Kathmandu, Nepal, 2016.
Chakraborty, M., Haider, M. Z., & Rahaman, M. M. (2015). Socio-economic impact of cropland agroforestry: evidence from Jessore District of Bangladesh. International Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry, 2(1), 11-20.
Chowdhury, M. K. (1997). Agroforestry in homesteads and croplands: existing practices and potentials. Agroforestry: Bangladesh Perspectives. Dhaka: Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, 68-84.
Churchill, H. (1993). Forestry with Populus deltoides. South African Forestry Journal, 167(1), 63–66, https://doi.org/10.1080/00382167.1993.9629415
Dagar, J. C., & Tewari, V. P. (Eds.). (2018). Agroforestry: anecdotal to modern science. Springer.
Deshar, B. D. (2013). An overview of agricultural degradation in Nepal and its impact on economy and environment. Global Journal of economic and social development, 3(1), 1-20.
Dhakal, A., Cockfield, G., & Maraseni, T. N. (2012). Evolution of agroforestry-based farming systems: a study of Dhanusha District, Nepal. Agroforestry Systems, 86(1), 17–33, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-012-9504-x
Dhakal, A., & Rai, R. K. (2020). Who Adopts Agroforestry in a Subsistence Economy?—Lessons from the Terai of Nepal. Forests, 11(5), 565.
Endale, Y., Derero, A., Argaw, M., & Muthuri, C. (2017). Farmland tree species diversity and spatial distribution pattern in semi-arid East Shewa, Ethiopia. Forests, trees and LiveLihoods, 26(3), 199-214.
Franzel, S., Coe, R., Cooper, P., Place, F., & Scherr, S. J. (2001). Assessing the adoption potential of agroforestry practices in sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural Systems, 69(1), 37–62, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0308-521X(01)00017-8
Garforth, C. J., Malla, Y. B., Neopane, R. P., & Pandit, B. H. (1999). Socioeconomic factors and agro-forestry improvements in the hills of Nepal. Mountain Research and Development, 273–278.
Garrett, H. E., McGraw, R. L., & Walter, W. D. (2009). Alley Cropping Practices. North American Agroforestry: An Integrated Science and Practice (pp. 133–162). https://doi.org/10.2134/2009.northamericanagroforestry.2ed.c7
Garrity, D. P. (2004). Agroforestry and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Agroforestry Systems, 61(1), 5–17, https://doi.org/10.1023/B:AGFO.0000028986.37502.7c
Hanif, M., Roy, R. M., Bari, M., Ray, P. C., Rahman, M., & Hasan, M. (2018). Livelihood improvements through agroforestry: Evidence from Northern Bangladesh. Small-scale Forestry, 17(4), 505-522.
Hasanuzzaman, M., & Hossain, M. (2014). Leaf litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics associated with common horticultural cropland agroforest tree species of Bangladesh. International Journal of Forestry Research, 2014, https:// doi.org/10.1155/2014/805940
Islam, M. A., Masoodi, T. H., Gangoo, S. A., Sofi, P. A., Bhat, G. M., Wani, A. A., & Malik, A. R. (2015). Perceptions, attitudes and preferences in agroforestry among rural societies of Kashmir, India. Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 7(2), 976-983.
Jain, S. K., & Singh, P. (2000). Economic analysis of industrial agroforestry: poplar (Populus deltoides) in Uttar Pradesh (India). Agroforestry systems, 49(3), 255-273.
Jose, Shibu. (2009). Agroforestry for ecosystem services and environmental benefits: an overview. Agroforestry Systems, 76(1), 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-009-9229-7
Legesse, A., & Negash, M. (2021). Species diversity, composition, structure and management in agroforestry systems: the case of Kachabira district, Southern Ethiopia. Heliyon, 7(3), e06477.
Maharjan, A., Bauer, S., & Knerr, B. (2012). Do Rural Women Who Stay Behind Benefit from Male Out-migration? A Case Study in the Hills of Nepal. Gender, Technology and Development, 16(1), 95–123, https://doi.org/10.1177/097185241101600105
Mehta, T. (2015). ‘Pay me for my sugarcane or I’ll kill myself’: farmer to Devendra Fadnavis. NDTV(http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pay-me-for-my-sugarcane-or ill-kill-myself-farmer-to-devendra-fadnavis-1214004)
Nair, P. R. (1998). Directions in tropical agroforestry research: past, present, and future. In Directions in Tropical Agroforestry Research (pp. 223-245). Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9008-2_10
Nair, V. D., & Graetz, D. A. (2004). Agroforestry as an approach to minimizing nutrient loss from heavily fertilized soils: The Florida experience. Agroforestry Systems, 61(1), 269–279, https://doi.org/10.1023/B:AGFO.0000029004.03475.1d
Neupane, R. P., & Thapa, G. B. (2001). Impact of agroforestry intervention on soil fertility and farm income under the subsistence farming system of the middle hills, Nepal. Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, 84(2), 157-167.
Neupane, R. P., Sharma, K. R., & Thapa, G. B. (2002). Adoption of agroforestry in the hills of Nepal: a logistic regression analysis. Agricultural systems 72(3), 177-196, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0308-521X(01)00066-X
Neupane, P. R., Maraseni, T. N., & Köhl, M. (2017). The sugarcane industry in Nepal: Opportunities and challenges. Environmental Development, 24, 86-98.
Pandit, B. H., Shrestha, K. K., & Bhattarai, S. S. (2014). Sustainable local livelihoods through enhancing agroforestry systems in Nepal. Journal of Forest and Livelihood, 12(1), 47-63.
Rahman, S. A., De Groot, W. T., & Snelder, D. J. (2008). Exploring the agroforestry adoption gap: financial and socioeconomics of litchi-based agroforestry by smallholders in Rajshahi (Bangladesh). In Smallholder tree growing for rural development and environmental services (pp. 227-243). Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8261-0_11
Rahman, S. A., Imam, M. H., Snelder, D. J., & Sunderland, T. (2012). Agroforestry for livelihood security in Agrarian landscapes of the Padma floodplain in Bangladesh. Small-Scale Forestry, 11(4), 529–538, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-012-9198-y
Rahman, S. A., Rahman, M., & Sunderland, T. (2012). Causes and consequences of shifting cultivation and its alternative in the hill tracts of eastern Bangladesh. Agroforestry Systems, 84(2), 141-155, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-011-9422-3
Regmi, B. N. (2003, May). Contribution of agroforestry for rural livelihoods: A case of Dhading District, Nepal. In International Conference on Rural Livelihoods, Forests and Biodiversity (pp. 19-23).
Regmi, B. N., & Garforth, C. (2010). Trees outside forests and rural livelihoods: a study of Chitwan District, Nepal. Agroforestry systems, 79(3), 393-407.
Roshetko, J. M., Rohadi, D., Perdana, A., Sabastian, G., Nuryartono, N., Pramono, A. A., & Kusumowardhani, N. (2013). Teak agroforestry systems for livelihood enhancement, industrial timber production, and environmental rehabilitation. Forests, Trees and Livelihoods, 22(4), 241-256,
https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2013.855150
Sharma, M., (2015). 13 suicides in 3 weeks: a bitter reality for Karnataka’s sugarcane farmers. NDTV (http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/death-of-another-farmer-in karnatakas-sugarcane-belt-781431).
Thapa, G. B., & Paudel, G. S. (2000). Evaluation of the livestock carrying capacity of land resources in the Hills of Nepal based on total digestive nutrient analysis. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 78(3), 223–235, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8809(99)00128-0
Upreti, B. R., Ghale, Y., Shivakoti, S., & Acharya, S. (2018). Feminization of agriculture in the Eastern Hills of Nepal: A study of women in cardamom and ginger farming. SAGE Open, 8(4), 2158244018817124. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018817124
Verma, P., Bijalwan, A., Dobriyal, M. J., Swamy, S. L., & Thakur, T. K. (2017). A paradigm shift in agroforestry practices in Uttar Pradesh. Current Science, 509-516.
Weyerhaeuser, H., & Kahrl, F. (2006). Planting Trees on Farms in Southwest China. Mountain Research and Development, 26(3), 205–208.
Williams-Guillén, K., Perfecto, I., & Vandermeer, J. (2008). Bats limit insects in a neotropical agroforestry system. Science, 320(5872), 70-70, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1152944
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2022 Agriculture and Environmental Science Academy
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
