Shift from Multiple to Monocropping Farming System in Response to Change in Agroforestry-Dominated Land Use Type in East Africa Rift Valley

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted by a team of scientists from Dilla University has shed new light on the effects of land use change in agroforestry landscapes. The study, published in Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, examined the spatiotemporal shift from multiple cropping systems (MuCS) to monocropping systems (MoCS) in the agroforestry-dominated areas of Sidama Region, Ethiopia, between 2001 and 2021. The findings revealed a significant decrease in natural forest and agroforestry land use classes, while eucalyptus plantation, khat, built-up area, and cultivated land classes increased. The study identified the gradual weakening of the mutual human-environment relationship in the study area, emphasizing the need for sustainable land use practices and off-farm activities to ensure economic benefits for smallholder farmers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study aimed to examine the shift from MuCS to MoCS in agroforestry landscapes of Sidama Region, Ethiopia, due to land use/land cover change between 2001 and 2021.
  • Six Woredas and seventeen Kebeles, encompassing 340 smallholder farmer households, were selected for the study.
  • Landsat images were used to detect land use/land cover change using maximum likelihood algorithm, with an overall accuracy of 0.87.
  • Eucalyptus plantation, khat, built-up area, and cultivated land land use classes increased by 6.67%, 16.76%, 10.19%, and 1.87%, respectively, while natural forest and agroforestry classes decreased by 23.62% and 9.39%.
  • The study concluded that the shift from MuCS to MoCS led to the weakening of the human-environment relationship, necessitating the implementation of sustainable land use practices and off-farm activities.
  • The research highlighted the importance of addressing the economic benefits of smallholder farmers and promoting sustainable land use practices in agroforestry landscapes.

Statistics:

  • The overall accuracy of image classification was 0.87, indicating a good classification performance.
  • The land use classes that increased significantly include eucalyptus plantation (6.67%), khat (16.76%), built-up area (10.19%), and cultivated land (1.87%).
  • The land use classes that decreased significantly include natural forest (23.62%) and agroforestry (9.39%).
  • The study covered an area of six Woredas and seventeen Kebeles, with a total of 340 smallholder farmer households participating.

Sources:

  • A shift from multiple to monocropping farming system in response to change in agroforestry-dominated land use type in East Africa Rift Valley. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 2025, 27():100748.
  • Dilla University.
  • Ministry of Education of The People's Republic of China.
  • Nanjing Agricultural University.
  • Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project.
  • State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.