THE ROLE OF LAND-TENURE IN AGROFORESTRY - LESSONS FROM BENIN

In this article the relationship between land tenure and agroforestry is analysed drawing on a case study from Benin. It is argued that tena nts, the landless and the majority of women are disadvantaged compared with landowners in terms of their ability to adopt agroforestry syste ms. This is due to a lack of land resources, tenure insecurity and res trictions in planting perennial crops. State interventions and conflic ts between farmers and pastoralists further limit land tenure security of the rural population and thus reduce the willingness of peasants t o invest on a long-term basis and to protect natural resources. The ar ticle concludes with some implications for policy and project interven tions in the field of land tenure systems.