THE ROLE OF AGROFORESTRY PRACTICE FOR SUSTA INING THE RURAL LIVELIHOOD: - THE CASE OF BORECHA WOREDA, ILLUBABOR ZONE OF OROMIA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The depletion of forest and increasing demand for forest products especially of the rural people who depend on the forests for livelihoods have widened the gap between the demand and supply of the forest products in the country . Finding alternative options to increase the supply of forest products to support rural livelihoods have become a fundamental con cern . Hence, t his study focuses on assessing the practice and role of Agroforestry on the livelihood o f rural farming households in selected rural kebeles of Borecha Woreda. In this study Agroforestry adopters, non adopters and Agricultural and Rural Development office in the woreda were contacted. P rimary and s econdary data were collected by using structu red and open ended interview questionnaires. One hundred forty four ( 144 ) households for sample survey, key informants interview and group discussion were the main source of the primary data collected . In addition to this secondary was gathered from vario us reports and other relevant documents . The collected data were analyzed descriptively and using Statistical Software Pa ckage for Social Science (SPSS). The finding of the study indicates that agrosivopasture is the ma in agroforestry practice adopt ed by agroforestry adopters. Fruit, Timber, vegetables, coffee and honey were the main source of cash income of households who adopted Agroforestry when compare d to non agroforestry adopter . In addition to this agroforestr y practices saved time for collecting fo dder and firewood from the forest to meet the ir need for firewood and fodder from th eir farmland/ agroforestry. Therefore, it can be concluded that agroforestry has contributed mainly to the improvement of people’s livelihood by assuring food security and financial formation of rural communities in the one hand and also maintaining environmental condition for sustainable use on the other . The livelihood of Agroforestry adopter increased by 15% compared with the non adopter.