Promoting homestead agroforestry is widely recognized as an effective and holistic approach to food production and sustainable land use, offering numerous environmental, economic, and social benefits. This research aims to quantify the food, economic, and environmental advantages of avocado-based homestead agroforestry systems in Ethiopia. The study collected socio-economic, biophysical, and fruit yield data from selected households (HH) and their respective trial plots. Results indicated that a minimum of 260 kg of avocado fruits could be produced per homestead area. With planting density of ~ 266 trees per hectare (ha), the annual fruit production is ranging from 0.5 to 95 tons ha−1, with a mean annual production of 13.7 (± 2.6) tons ha−1. Approximately 80% of the fruit production was used for household consumption, while the remaining 20% was used for income generation, earning each household $30–$60 per harvest season. These findings suggest that households practicing avocado-based agroforestry systems can have access to nutrient-dense food while also improving their economic status. The C-stock calculated value was determined to be 19.3 Mg CO2-equivalent ha−1. Given the current carbon credit rate for agroforestry practices ($9.9 per tCO2-eqv), the total carbon credit for six-year-old avocado trees could amount to at least $191 ha−1 for the carbon accumulated during this period. Additionally, avocado trees provide non-market values and services, making fruit tree-based homestead agroforestry practices a viable and sustainable option for rural economies. By boosting productivity per unit area, these practices can help address the growing land shortage, reduce poverty and malnutrition levels, and improve ecosystem services in the study area and beyond.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-024-01074-8Puntuación Altmetric:
Dimensiones Recuento de citas:
Año de publicación
2024
Autores
Mokria, M.; Hagazi, N.; Hadgu, K.M.; Said, H.; Abiyu, A.; Hailemariam, G.; Bräuning, A.; Gebrekirstos, A.
Idioma
English
Palabras clave
agroforestry, food security, economic impact, socioeconomics, agroforestry systems, carbon sequestration, markets
Geográfico
Ethiopia
