Adoption and intensity influencing factors of agroforestry systems for mitigating land degradation (MLD) in Gilgel Gibe I catchment, southwestern Ethiopia

While agroforestry systems serve as alternative land management strategies aimed at enhancing soil properties and augmenting carbon storage, their adoption and implementation intensity remain limited in Ethiopia. This study designed to identify factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry (AF) for mitigating land degradation (MLD) in the Nadi and Yedi micro watersheds of southwestern Ethiopia, utilizing a reconnaissance field survey and a multi-stage purposive sampling technique. In accordance with this objective, a total of 380 household heads were selected and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics and the Double Hurdle econometric model. As a result, home gardens (74.4%; 82.8%) and coffee farms (38.6%; 51.5%) were the most widely adopted AF techniques in the Nadi and Yedi watersheds, respectively. More than half of the household heads reported that AF contributes to decreasing soil erosion, enhancing moisture, and improving fertility. The first hurdle model indicates that eight explanatory variables, namely livestock number, farming experience, income, family size, access to information, education level, farm distance, and land security, influenced the adoption of AF practices. In the second hurdle, nine explanatory variables, namely education level, livestock number, income, participation in natural resource projects, access to material support, access to extension, marital status, physical measures conservation, and land security, influenced the adoption intensity of AF practices. This study comprehensively identifies barriers to adopting AF, encompassing institutional, socio-economic, biophysical, and demographic characteristics specific to the study area. As such, future land management initiatives should prioritize a multifaceted approach to accelerate and expand AF adoption, thereby sustainably MLD.