Determinants of Farm Forestry Development in Western Kenya

Farm forestry in many developing countries like Kenya is an important land use in terms of land size and its socioeconomic contributions. The objective of the study was to evaluate the economic and non economic drivers of farm forestry development in Kenya. Multiple regressions models were used to evaluate socioeconomic parameters, financial viability assessments, land quality scenarios, product market penetration and product market performances influence on households decision to plant trees within the rural agricultural landscape. The study reveals that farm forestry has been has been shaped by historical land use evolution, socioeconomic, markets, biophysical and demographic factors sometimes unique to specific counties in the country. Key farm forestry products were firewood, charcoal, sawnwood and polewood were highly integrated in local commodity markets and the markets systems were highly efficient despite policy and legal handicaps. Keys drivers of farm forestry decision making were economic, demographic and biophysical factors