Drivers, challenges and future pathways of Sidama agroforestry: A systematic review

Agroforestry systems are vital for livelihoods, food security, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability. However, due to emerging market pressure and farmers’ inclination for short-term return for their investment, agroforestry systems are being changed to monocultures in some parts of Sidama. Hence, this desktop research was designed to understand the contemporary changes and design innovative frameworks that systematically integrate the socio-economic, political, ecological, and policy dimensions shaping farmers’ environments. This study documents evidence, identifies policy gaps, and provides recommendations for stimulating dialogue on agroforestry standards, fostering development, research, and multidisciplinary discussions. Using the PRISMA method, we analyzed literature relevant to farming systems of the area, revealing that enset (168,432 ha), coffee (153,022.3 ha), and fruits (20,000 ha) dominate the Sidama agroforestry system. Historically, trees on farmland supported household needs and biodiversity, but contemporary factors such as population growth, climate change, and land shortages are now threatening this balance. Moreover, a simple evidence of agroforestry decline was observed with an ongoing shift toward increasing khat and Eucalyptus monocultures reflecting reduction in tree diversity, changes in farm structure, reduction in farm size, changes in management practices, and conversion to other land uses. Moreover, the linear approach of introducing multipurpose trees did not ward off the emerging threats, and the absence of a coordinated response from stakeholders left livelihoods extremely vulnerable. In fact, the introduction of sustainable and economically viable practices could be achieved through diverse agroforestry systems tailored to specific locations, including forest-fungi agroforestry, permaculture, regenerative agroforestry, syntropic agroforestry, entomoforestry, aquaforestry, and apiforestry with linear, rectangular, square, or hexagonal patterns suitable to riverine, degraded or sloping landscapes, which have not been implemented yet due to institutional and policy gaps. If suitable polices are adopted, integrating agroforestry with vertical farming, adopting livelihood diversification strategies, and utilizing ecosystem service payments can also incentivize the best agroforestry practices. Agroforestry innovations directed to address ecological and economic constraints of a given socio-economic setting should be co-designed and co-implemented through the participation of farmers, researchers, and key stakeholders. Therefore, there is a need to test and identify new ways of farming with trees, to explore and implement new designs or models of agroforestry, and to commercialize its components to scientifically assert the transformation and address the emerging challenges the farming community faces.