Do Trees on Farms Matter in African Agriculture?

Book Chapter

Common wisdom: Trees on farms are not important in Sub-Saharan African agriculture.

Main findings:

With about a third of smallholder farmers reporting cultivating trees on their farms, trees are not uncommon in the five Sub-Saharan African countries studied. Fruit trees and tree cash crops (such as coffee, cacao, and cashew nuts) are the most frequent tree categories grown.
The prevalence of on-farm trees for timber is also sizable in Tanzania (18 percent of smallholders), but minimal or poorly recorded elsewhere.
In addition to sales, fruit trees are also commonly used for self-consumption in Ethiopia and Uganda, implying that they may play an important role in food security and nutrition.
Their contribution to income is not negligible—17 percent of total gross income among tree crop growers, and 6 percent on average across all rural households.
Tree-growing households are better off on average in most of the study countries.
Trees are more likely on larger farms, in warmer areas, and closer to forests. Their prevalence also appears to be shaped by national policies and institutional factors.