A study of agroforestry adoption by 3,000 project participants in Siay
a and South Nyanza Districts in Kenya supports three hypotheses. (1) H
istorical increases in tree domestication and management intensity are
responses to declining supply of uncultivated tree resources, increas
ed subsistence and commercial demand for tree products, and perceived
risks of ecological degradation. Adoption of agroforestry is most like
ly where consistent with economic incentives for land use change. (2)
High variability in individual farmers' tree-growing strategies reflec
ts differences in resources and livelihood strategies, and household-l
evel returns to agroforestry relative to alternative options for meeti
ng specific objectives. (3) Farmers reduce risks associated with new a
groforestry practices through incremental adoption and adaptation, and
cost- and risk-reducing modifications in technology design.