5. Conclusions
The results of this study suggest that agroforestry practice could be an
appropriate strategy in the context of changing climate and economy in
the farm-based economy. First, an agroforestry practice demands less
labour compared to conventional agriculture practice. Adopting
agroforestry may help to maintain the rural economy since, the young
population is out-migrating, and the rural area is facing a short supply
of labour. Besides, the agroforestry system is preferred by households
having an off-farm income source. This suits the existing rural context
as rural economy is in the transition towards monetized transactions due
to outmigration for employment.
Agroforestry is a good source of fuelwood and fodder for livestock.
Livestock raising is an integral part of Nepalese farming. The general
assumption is that the farmers who live far from the forest tend to
raise trees on their farmlands. Our finding reinforced this assumption.
The reason for the distant farmers tending towards agroforestry adoption
is that they would otherwise have to allocate a huge amount of time
mostly every day for fuelwood and fodder collection from the forest. Not
only the time saving, it has also contributed to forest conservation by
reducing pressure on the forest.
The results also suggest that agroforestry is not a favourable option
for smallholders as it is more likely to be adopted by large farmers.
Collective farming through a cooperative approach might be a positive
and practical step to engage smallholders in agroforestry promotion. As
agroforestry gained attention in the international climate change
policy, it could be an attractive option as a part of the mitigation
strategy. The study clearly indicates that access to information may
contribute to promote agroforestry practice, which requires intensive
extension services.