Contribution of Agroforestry to Farmers Wellbeing in Forest Enclave, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Agroforestry has recently been experiencing a surge in interest as a cost-effective means to enhance food security and well-being. Thus there is a need to assess its contribution of to farmer’s wellbeing. Primary data needed for the study were collected through the administration of  questionnaires to agroforestry farmers. Purposive random sampling technique was used to select three forest enclaves in Edo state. A simple random sampling technic was used in the selection of respondents and a total number of 120 copies of questionnaires were administered. Data
were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentages and inferential statistics such as Chi-square, Pearson Product Moment correlations (PPMC). The study revealed that the mean age of the farmers in the area was 45.6years. Majorities (85.8 %) were male and 78.3% were married. with 54.2% having household size of between 4 - 6 persons. Majority (84.2%) had formal education. Also, 65.8% engage in agroforestry farming as their primary occupation. The results showed that there was positive and significant relationship between farmers’
involvement in agroforestry and their economic wellbeing (χ² = 76.27, P ≤ 0.001), material wellbeing (χ² = 93.77, P ≤ 0.001), social wellbeing (χ² = 73.00, P ≤ 0.001) and psychological wellbeing (χ² = 132.63, P ≤ 0.001), respectively. It is therefore recommended that farmers should be encouraged to increase their farm holding and also organized themselves into association for them to have access to mechanized equipment 

Keyword: Contribution, Agroforestry, Wellbeing, Farmers