5. Conclusions
The results of this study suggest that agroforestry practice could be an appropriate strategy in the context of changing climate and economy in the farm-based economy. First, an agroforestry practice demands less labour compared to conventional agriculture practice. Adopting agroforestry may help to maintain the rural economy since the young population is out-migrating and the rural area is facing a short supply of labour. Besides, the agroforestry system is preferred by households having an off-farm income source. This suits the existing rural context as rural economy is in the transition towards monetized transactions due to outmigration for employment.
Agroforestry is a good source of fuelwood and fodder for livestock. Livestock raising is an integral part of Nepalese farming. The general assumption is that the farmers who live far from the forest tend to raise trees on their farmlands. Our finding reinforced this assumption. The reason for the distant farmers tending towards agroforestry adoption is that they would otherwise have to allocate a huge amount of time mostly every day for fuelwood and fodder collection from the forest. Not only the time saving, it has also contributed to forest conservation by reducing pressure on the forest.
The results also suggest that agroforestry is not a favourable option for smallholders as it is more likely to be adopted by large farmers. Collective farming through a cooperative approach might be a positive and practical step to engage smallholders in agroforestry promotion. As agroforestry gained attention in the international climate change policy, it could be an attractive option as a part of the mitigation strategy. The study clearly indicates that access to information may contribute to promote agroforestry practice, which requires intensive extension services.