Deforestation and degradation of productive lands are serious threats to
the sustainability of forestry/agricultural practices in Kenya. In the last two decades
farm forestry (FF) has been promoted through pilot projects among local communities
as an example of sustainable land use. However adoption of FF is limited
outside the project locations because FF improvement measures focused mainly on
biological (e.g. succession, biodiversity and traditional industrial timber production)
and technical concerns (e.g. material input delivery such as providing free tree
seedlings for field planting) rather than local values, and interests and the constraints
facing farmers. This study examined the local farm priorities and constraints and the
prospects for the wider implementation of farm-level tree planting in four communities
in Rachuonyo District. Using interviews with 597 randomly selected
household heads, the study assessed farmer’s production assets and activities, land
tenure, priority tree species and the constraints to growing trees on farms. Results
show that farm labour is represented by a young population, 56.3% under the age of
forty. They are mainly engaged in small-scale mixed cropping integrated with
multipurpose trees and some livestock. Tree products contribute about 32% to
household cash income, more than any other source (agricultural products, labour
sales, etc). Females were more often household heads and had considerable influence
over productive activities, making them an important target group in FF
development. Farmers preferred exotic tree species due to their ability to provide
short-term cash income, fuel and shade. Farmers’ concerns included population
pressure on limited farmlands and the problem of credit for agricultural inputs. Given the feeling of secured tenure arrangement and influence of tree products on
the household economy, farmers are likely to invest more in efficient land uses such
as FF if consideration is given to local priorities.