The Eco-cultural Shift in the Gede’o and Sidama Indigenous Agroforestry System

The Gedeo and Sidama are neighboring communities well known in Ethiopia for their indigenous agroforestry system. Both communities have strong attachments to the indigenous agroforestry system. However, in recent years, there has been a dramatic change in the agroforestry system of both communities: a shift in the value system and economic engagements that reflects a departure from the culturally embedded local knowledge, belief, norms, and environmental ethics of regulating the human-nature relationships. This paper attempts to show the eco-cultural shift in the indigenous agroforestry systems of the Gedeo and Sidama communities. The paper specifically addresses the relationship between nature and culture, and their dynamics and the challenges related to the eco-cultural shifts in the everyday lives of the communities. Methodologically, qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviews, observation, focused group discussions; narrative interview and review of secondary sources have been employed to collect data. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques have been used to find key informants in the study areas. The results have shown that various factors such as disease to native crops, erosion of traditional social structures, urbanization, modernization, modern schooling and expansion of mainstream religions have been inducing adverse effects in the indigenous agroforestry system of Gedeo and Sidama communities. In addition, with the “monetization” of the production system in the area, the indigenous agroforestry system of the Gedeo and Sidama is now shifting towards cash-oriented cropping system. As a result, the communities have started to experience ecological, social and institutional challenges. Ecologically, the communities have started to experience loss of biodiversity, infertility of soil and food insecurity; socially, uncommon and abnormal behaviors such as beggary, snatching and prostitution are on the rise; institutionally, the decay of indigenous social institutions that preserved society-nature symbiosis is quite visible. The paper recommends necessary preventive measures to reduce drivers of eco-cultural shift in the indigenous land use systems of Gedeo and Sidama and their adverse effects on the harmonious relationship between society and nature in the areas.