CAN FARMLAND FACTORS INFLUENCE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES AMONG FARMERS? A CASE STUDY OF THARAKA-NITHI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The study contributes to the knowledge base on agricultural extension, specifically examining the potential influence of selected farmland factors on the sustainability of agroforestry practices among farmers, with a particular focus on landholding patterns in Tharaka Nithi County. The research used stratified sampling to select a representative sample of 400 respondents from the target population of 85,675 farmers. A peer-reviewed semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The probit regression model was used to address the research question on the likely influence of farmland factors on the sustainability of agroforestry practices, using Stata version 15. The study revealed significantly higher sustainability of agroforestry practices among farmers with formal land titles (Coef. = 1.104, p = 0.007) and those who adopted a high number of nutrient management practices (Coef. = 0.679, p = 0.001). Additionally, natural features on a farm, such as wetlands, rock outcrops, hills, or uneven topography, significantly and negatively affected the adoption and sustainability of agroforestry practices (Coef. = -0.239, p = 0.038). On the contrary, other farmland factors, including infrastructure around the farm, soil quality perception, farm nature, and terrain type, were found to be statistically insignificant for the sustainability of agroforestry (p > 0.05). Therefore, the adoption and sustainability of agroforestry practices were mainly influenced by landholding structures and tenure security. To promote the efficient adoption and sustainability of agroforestry practices, the government should implement land reforms that secure land tenure and facilitate land consolidation.