Eco-cultural shift in the Gede'o and Sidama indigenous Agroforestry System: the case of Dilla Zuria & Dara districts.

Abstract This research was conducted in the Gedeo and Sidama communities with aim to explore the eco cultural shift in their indigenous agroforestry system. Methodologically, study focused on qualitative research approach. Purposive and snowball sampling technique employed in order to find key informants in study areas. In-depth interview, observation, focus group discussion, narrative interview were&review of secondary data sources, methods used to collect data, and it analyzed parallel with data collection through thematic analysis approach. In order to widen the concepts related to my study topic, systematic review of related literature was made. The findings of this research reveal that various factors such as ; natural factors such as disease related with native crops, erosion of traditional social structure, urbanism, modernization, modern schooling, top-down policy & expansion of modern religions are challenging factors that change ontology of Sidama-Gedeo community attached with nature in their indigenous agroforestry system. Due to these factors ancestral/indigenous eco-cultural values of Sidama and Gedeo community that connect them with their surrounding are now in transition. With the ―monetization‖ of the production system, the indigenous agroforestry system of the Gedeo and Sidama people are now shifting towards cash oriented cropping system. Such loss of biodiversity, food insecurity, expansion of beginning, prostitution, infertility of soil, decay of indigenous institutions is resulted from eco-cultural relation shift in the Sidama-Gedeo indigenous agroforestry system. Necessary management system expected to reduce drivers of eco-cultural relation of Sidama-Gedeo indigenous land use system.