TITLE:
Indigenous Agroforestry Practices in Southern Ethiopia: The Case of Lante, Arba Minch
AUTHORS:
Molla Mekonnen Alemu
KEYWORDS:
Indigenous Knowledge, Agroforestry, Lante, Home Garden, Intercropping, Livestock, Southern Ethiopia
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.3 No.12,
December
26,
2016
ABSTRACT: Agroforestry has been practiced for centuries in different parts of the world by making use of indigenous technical knowledge. Since societies have lived for long period of time in a specific area, indigenous knowledge has been transferred from generation to generation by building on new inventions on what has been inherited across years. The practice has served communities to find indigenous medicinal plants; edible fruits, leaves, roots and steam; fuel; feed for livestock; shelter; construction materials; ameliorating micro climates; and many more. The southern part of Ethiopia is endowed with indigenous agroforestry practices that have evolved over years. The agroforestry activities of the communities have enabled to maintain the greenery of the region along with its magnificent contribution towards ecological values, food security and local economic benefits. This study was held in Lante, one of the Kebeles (the smallest administration unit) of Arba Minch Zuriya district of Southern Ethiopia so as to explore the indigenous agroforestry practices along with its present contribution for food security and local economic development. Primary and secondary data were collected by making use of interview questions and review of related literature. Then data were transcribed and analysed by descriptive statistics. Findings of the study showed that home garden, intercropping and livestock based agroforestry practices of the area are contributing a lot in maintaining food security at the household level through the provision edible items from backyard throughout the year. It has also enabled the communities to be empowered economically as they can always find to be cashed and fulfill household needs. Thus, since the case of Lante is a good role model for sustainable agroforestry development, sharing the indigenous agroforestry experience with the rest of the country could have a great impact in building green economy at grassroots levels.