Abstract:

Agroforestry is a name for all land-use practices/systems in which trees or shrubs are deliberately grown in association with agricultural crops, pastures or livestock. In more simple terms agroforestry is the growing and management of trees on farms for the benefit of the farmer and the environment. Increase in poverty levels, food insecurity, declining tree cover, energy deficits and environmental degradation are some of the major challenges facing many farming communities in Uganda. Forests and trees play a crucial role in addressing these challenges. Most of Uganda's forests have become conservation areas where people's access is limited. On the other hand, expansion of agricultural activities continues to claim forested lands and extensive harvesting accelerates the degradation of savannah woodlands and bush land. Increasing land degradation due to high population densities, shortages of tree products (wood and non-wood), low incomes in rural areas, food and nutritional deficits, and loss of biodiversity are some of the major reasons why trees should be grown on farms. Trees that are carefully grown and managed on farms by farmers can address most of these issues as they can provide a wide range of products and services, which have traditionally been sought from forested areas. These products and services are very critical to the livelihoods of farming households and the sustainability of the natural resource base (land) on which agricultural production dependents.