Socioeconomic challenges of maintaining native trees on farmlands in Boricha district, Sidama region, Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, farmers have long integrated native trees into their farmlands for their ecological and economic benefits. Today, this tradition is under threat from the growing appeal of cash crops such as khat and eucalyptus, which provide attractive short-term income but carry high environmental costs. Our study explored the factors influencing farmers’ decisions to retain native trees in agricultural landscapes. To understand the drivers behind farmers’ choices, we collected primary data from 200 participants by employing a mix of semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, and analyzed it using a binary logit regression model. The analysis revealed that larger landholdings (Odds Ratio = 428.4, p < 0.002), access to market information (OR = 54.5, p < 0.004), greater awareness of ecological benefits (OR = 109.9, p < 0.001), livestock ownership (OR = 2.42, p < 0.006), family size (OR = 0.43, p < 0.039), and age (OR = 1.12, p < 0.035) significantly influenced farmers’ likelihood of maintaining native trees. Farmers particularly value native trees for improving soil fertility and providing timber, food, fodder, and medicinal resources. Yet, the profitability of monoculture cash crops continues to accelerate the decline of these traditional tree-based systems. Our findings underscore the urgent need for policy interventions that enhance the economic competitiveness of agroforestry. Incentives such as value-added markets and payment for ecosystem services could safeguard Ethiopia’s native-tree-based farming systems, securing both rural livelihoods and long-term environmental sustainability. • Despite the ecological benefits of native trees, farmers tend to shift to cash crops. • Policy limits and slow ROI hinder efforts to maintain native trees on farmlands. • The potential of Cordia africana is untapped due to a lack of a processing industry.