Agroforestry as a resilient strategy to climate change in Mwanga district, Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania

Abstract

Agroforestry is a climate-smart production system that sustainably diversifies environmental and socio-economic benefits to subsistence farmers, and is therefore considered more resilient than monocropping to increased intensity of extreme weather events. This study was conducted to assess the potential of agroforestry (AF) in buffering smallholder farmers against climate variability and mitigating CO2 emissions through carbon sequestration in Mwanga District, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. Research methodologies used included literature review, questionnaire, and ecological survey. A sample of 54 plots with a size ranging from 0.04 Ha to one Ha and 103 households engaged in AF and non-AF were selected randomly from three villages for ecological study which involved an inventory of on farm trees and questionnaire survey for collecting socio-economic data respectively. SPSS computer program was used to analyse socio-economic data and allometric equations were used for estimation aboveground biomass and carbon. The diversity of benefits in AF practices such as food (59.2%), fodder (58.2%), selling livestock (71%), fruits (54.4%), timber (27.2%) and fuelwood (45.7% ) increased farmer`s resilience during environmental extremes and climate variability. AF practitioners were richer than non practitioners with an extra income of TAS 988 042 (USD 618) annually. Furthermore, agroforestry systems (AFs) such as parklands, homegardens and woodlots stored substantial aboveground carbon stock (10.7 to 57.1 Mg C ha-1 with an average of 19.4 Mg C ha-1), and the difference in carbon stock among AFs was statistically significant at p<0.001. Integration of crops and diversity in AFs were among the resilient features which reduced farmer‟s risk from total crop failure. Further increased income as a result of the diversity of products from the AFs enhanced the resilience of AF practitioners. Therefore, vigorous efforts are needed to provide knowledge on the AF products value-addition innovation, promoting rich carbon land use, understanding and addressing competing claims on natural resources.