Fodder for a better future: how agroforestry is helping to transform the lives of smallholder dairy farmers in East Africa

It is now almost 20 years since the World Agroforestry Centre and its partners began research on fodder trees in Kenya. The aim was to identify species that farmers could grow as a source of protein for their dairy animals. By 2006, over 205,000 smallholders in East Africa had planted fodder trees. By improving the diet of their cows and goats, they significantly increased milk yields and incomes. The demand for milk products in East Africa has risen rapidly, almost doubling over the past decade in Kenya. Around 80% of the milk is supplied by smallholder dairy farmers, with an average of less than two cows each. Dairy farming is a notable pathway toward poverty alleviation for over a million farmers in the region. However, until recently the rapid increase in demand was not matched by increases in productivity. This is beginning to change. The introduction of improved breeds – for example, Friesians and Ayrshires – has helped to increase yields. And so has the introduction of protein-rich fodder trees. This booklet describes one of the major agroforestry research and development success stories of recent years. Besides helping to improve livestock diets and milk yields, fodder trees provide a range of other benefits.

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