AGROFORESTRY PRACTICE, BENEFITS AND UNDERLYING ADOPTION CHALLENGES IN WONDO DISTRICT, WEST ARSI ZONE, ETHIOPIA

ABSTRACT This study used a mixed-methods study design that includes household questionnaires (n=96), qualitative interviews, and field observations to critically assess the adoption patterns, advantages, and drivers of agroforestry practices in Wondo District,Oromia, Ethiopia. The results showed that agroforestry systems ware widely used, with the most common configurations being home gardens (98.9%), scattered trees (95.8%), and silvopastoral systems (89.6%). However, institutional and technological limitations continued to hinder the impelimatation of sophisticated systems, such alley cropping (29.2%). Crosswise with economic returns including improved food security and income diversification (96.9%), agroforestry was also considered to offer a number of environmental profits, most particularly enlarged soil fertility (94.8%) and biodiversity preservation (91.7%). Nevertheless of these benefits, the study create that gender was a significant factors, with male-headed households accepting agroforestry 2.48 times more frequently than female-headed household ones (p=0.034). This proposes that systematic gender inequalities in information, incomes, and contact to extension services are extremely fixed. Landholding size (β = 0.78, p < 0.001), education level (OR = 1.86, p = 0.013) and promoter to extension services were established to be significant acceptance factors using multivariate regression tests. Key barriers included uneven land tenure, weak market infrastructure, partial technical capacity, and the lack of agroforestry presence in national agricultural policy. The study concluded that agroforestry is a very hopeful sustainable land management approach that can help mitigate environmental degradation while attractive rural livelihoods. However, achieving its full potential requires institutional change with focus, investment in gender-sensitive capacity development, and establishment of supportive policy settings. Future research is called upon to assess the long-term ecological performance of diverse agroforestry models and explore climate-resilient innovations that have been adopted in smallholder farming systems in Ethiopia and other similar agro ecological environments. 4