Do agroforestry technologies improve the livelihoods of the resource poor farmers? Evidence from Kasungu and Machinga districts of Malawi

Fertilizer tree technologies such as intercropping, relay cropping, improved fallows and biomass transfer have been promoted as sustainable, low-input alternative or complimentary inputs to inorganic fertilizers in Malawi. However, research into the long term effects of their adoption on household food security and poverty reduction is limited. This study examined whether these technologies contribute to rural household of subsistence farmers in terms of food security and livelihoods improvement in two districts of Malawi.The study shows that fertilizer tree technologies increase crop production and provide additional income to households through sources such as sale of agroforestry tree seed and fuelwood. The choice of the technologies is driven by the size of the land holdings and more benefits are associated with large land holdings. While fertilizer tree technologies contribute to the reduction in hunger months, this is usually compromised at the household level by the inability to achieve livelihood security, absorb and cope with shocks and overall improved welfare.

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-010-9318-7

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