Socioeconomic Indicators of Bamboo Use for Agroforestry Development in the Dry Semi-Deciduous Forest Zone of Ghana

Sammanfattning

Bamboo agroforestry is currently being promoted in Ghana as a viable land use option to reduce dependence on natural forest for wood fuels. To align the design and introduction of bamboo agroforestry to the needs of farmers, information on the determinants of bamboo acceptability and adoption is necessary. It is, therefore, the aim of this study to determine how socioeconomic factors, local farming practices and local knowledge on bamboo may influence its acceptability and adoption as a component of local farming systems. Data were collected from 200 farmers in the dry semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana using semi-structured questionnaire interviews. The results show that farmers' traditional knowledge on bamboo including its use for charcoal production and leaves for fodder are influential determinants of bamboo adoption. Among the demographic characteristics of farmers, age and gender are the most significant predictors. It is also evident that the regular practice of leaving trees on farmlands and type of cropping system may influence bamboo integration into traditional farming systems.

Nyckelord

adoption; land-use; deforestation; food security; renewable energy

Publicerad i

Sustainability
2018, volym: 10, nummer: 7, artikelnummer: 2324
Utgivare: MDPI

SLU författare

• Appiah Mensah, Alex

  • Institutionen för sydsvensk skogsvetenskap, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Globala målen (SDG)

SDG2 Ingen hunger
SDG7 Hållbar energi för alla
SDG15 Ekosystem och biologisk mångfald

UKÄ forskningsämne

Skogsvetenskap

Publikationens identifierare

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su10072324

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/96465