Agroforestry in the drylands of eastern Africa: a call to action

Abstract

Drylands in eastern Africa typically suffer from unsustainable land uses that have evolved in the recent past. This paper reports on how agroforestry practices can contribute to sustainable land use in drylands drawing on examples from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, India and the Sahel. The paper also reviews other drivers of successful dryland rehabilitation programmes and examines opportunities and constraints in dryland agroforestry extension programmes. The paper concludes that agroforestry can contribute to the evolution of sustainable land use in the drylands. This is possible because it is a system that blends production (food and income security at household- and community-level) with ecosystem services. Recommendations for successful implementation of agroforestry extension programmes in these marginal lands are given.