Facilitating the wider use of agroforestry for development in southern Africa

Southern Africa experiences severe degradation of the natural resource base caused by population growth and poverty. Agroforestry technologies are now available that have a large potential to improve the livelihoods of many households. The outcomes of technology development and how the development evolved into a more client-driven process are described. Regional development trends are assessed and six agroforestry options are described that offer better livelihood options to smallholder farming families. Problems and successes experienced in facilitating the wider use of agroforestry are discussed. Lessons learned on partnerships, the time frame of impact, using farmers as change agents, and addressing the special needs of women are highlighted. Emphasis is put on using agroforestry as a learning tool in building local capacity for innovation development. This article is freely available as a chapter in Development and Agroforestry: Scaling Up the Impacts of Research