Discussion Paper No. 238 of 2020 on Effects of Forest Co-management on Adoption of On-Farm Tree Planting: Evidence from Selected Sites in Kenya

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of participation in forest co-management on adoption of on-farm tree planting in four forest sites in Kenya. In all sites, Aberdares, Cherangany, Kakamega and Arabuko-Sokoke, devolution of decisions on forest management to Community Forest Associations (CFAs) were tested under the forest reforms. The forest reforms implemented through the Forest Act 2005 assumed that co-management would deflate forest pressure by encouraging on-farm tree planting as an alternative source of forest products. The objective of the study was to examine the extent of forest co-management and the effect of co-management on adoption of on-farm tree planting in Kenya. The study draws on data collected from 475 households in 2015 to perform an Ordered Logistic Regression. The findings show that although co-management has enhanced community participation in forest management through CFA, much of the powers and authority on forest resources is retained by the Kenya Forest Services. Reluctance by KFS to cede power to CFAs constrains their effectiveness in managing forest resources. The OLR results show that education, training, extension service and age increase the likelihood of on-farm tree adoption, while participation in CFA does not. Analysis of Marginal Effects indicate that a unit change in extension service increased the likelihood of high adoption of on-farm tree planting by 20.6 per cent while education increased the likelihood by 3.6 per cent. Participation in co-management reduced the likelihood of high on-farm adoption by 28.4 per cent, implying high dependence on common forest resources by CFA members.