Assessing Agroforestry Ecological and Socioeconomic Perceived Benefits in Uganda

Abstract

Whereas agroforestry has emerged as a vital Nature-Based Solution (NBS) in the face of climate change, it is yet to be fully embraced in many parts of the world including Uganda. Therefore, understanding the various dynamics surrounding agroforestry adaptation such as the associated benefits and drivers is equally important. The study aimed to explore perceptions and preferences for agroforestry benefits from both ecological and socioeconomic aspects in Uganda. The study employed a non-probability convenience online survey and a total of n = 1138 responses were collected and subjected to descriptive and binary regression analysis. Assessment of agroforestry benefits demonstrated very high ecological preferences. The socioeconomic factors of wood fuel, forest incomes, and forest food and fruits ranked moderately. The models showed a consistent cluster of positive relations among provisioning/protection outlooks of forest food and fruits, water protection and soil conservation services. Moreover, the trade-offs between livelihood dependency for wood fuel/firewood energy, forest income and conservation attitudes (saving nature) were observed. The demographics characteristics (age and gender) were mainly not significant across most models. The efforts of the government of Uganda had a positive and very significant correlation with a preference for wood fuel, indicating policy problems. The study outcomes not only provide a strong case for future studies regarding agroforestry benefits but also offer insights for policy advice such as integrated approaches in agroforestry systems in Uganda.