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Farm woodlots in rural Rwanda: purposes and determinants

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Abstract

The development of farm woodlots as an alternative source of livelihood for smallholder farmers in diverse biophysical and socio-economic conditions is a challenging issue in developing countries, such as Rwanda, where the majority of the population relies on subsistence farming. There is a need to understand why and when farmers decide to grow trees and woodlots on their farms. The objective of this study was to analyse the determinants and the purposes that enhance the propensity to grow woodlots in low, medium and high altitude regions of Rwanda. Necessary information for this study came from a survey of 480 households across these regions. The results showed regional variations in the determinants of woodlot farming, demonstrating the importance of not extrapolating the results between regions. Pooled data across regions indicated that age of the householder, number of salaried household members, farm size, travel distance to fuelwood sources and household location in medium forest cover region had positive significant effects on the propensity to grow farm woodlots. In contrast, household location in low forest cover region, ownership of livestock and monthly frequency of purchasing fuelwood were inversely related to the presence of farm woodlots. Many households planted eucalyptus woodlots for economic reasons, not for environmental purposes. Livestock and crop production were more attractive to rural households than woodlot farming. The findings of the study can be used by policymakers and extension services in order to promote sustainable land use practices by focusing on the challenges of competing land uses, farm size, unemployment, dependence on forests for fuelwood supply and subsistence farming.

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Acknowledgments

This study is part of the PhD Programme of the first author at Wageningen University, the Netherlands, funded by Netherlands Organization for international cooperation in higher education (NUFFIC, grant nr. CF2906/2006 under the agreement between Rwanda Agricultural Research Institute (ISAR) and NUFFIC). We are grateful to ISAR for facilitation during this study. We thanks Jean Claude Bambe, Barnabé Bizeye, Thomas Gakwavu, Théoneste Hakizimana, Gilbert Ndizeye, Roger T. Mahamuri, Eustache Nkikabahizi, Epaphrodite Gakwerere Nkuba, Fréderic Ntakirutimana, Claudine Nyiraneza, Fiston Rugira, Innocent Ufitumurame, Providence Uwayezu and Marcellin Uwimpuhwe for their assistance in data collection, coding of interview responses and data entry. We are also grateful to the farmers who participated in the survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB), Forestry and Agroforestry Programme, Kigali, Rwanda

    Jean Damascene Ndayambaje

  2. Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Jean Damascene Ndayambaje, Wim J. M. Heijman & Godefridus M. J. Mohren

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  1. Jean Damascene Ndayambaje
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  2. Wim J. M. Heijman
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Correspondence to Jean Damascene Ndayambaje.

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Ndayambaje, J.D., Heijman, W.J.M. & Mohren, G.M.J. Farm woodlots in rural Rwanda: purposes and determinants. Agroforest Syst 87, 797–814 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-013-9597-x

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