A Systematic Review on the Socio-Economic Importance of Agroforestry in Ethiopia

Agroforestry is an old practice and has been promoted for decades in Ethiopia as an integrated land use system capable of addressing poverty in rural areas, food insecurity, and land degradation simultaneously. So, this systematic review synthesises evidence from 127 peer-reviewed studies on agroforestry published between 2000 and 2025 in Ethiopia to evaluate the socio-economic importance of agroforestry practices across different agroecological zones. The findings consistently reveal that agroforestry generates significant economic benefits through income diversification, including timber, non-timber forest products, fuelwood, fruits, coffee, honey, and medicinal plants, at the same time by reducing household expenditure through subsistence provisioning. Socially, agroforestry enhances food security for agriculture-based communities, enhances nutritional diversity, reduces domestic workloads for women, and strengthens the community to prevent social crises. However, adoption rates remain variable due to persistent barriers, including insecurity of land tenure, shortage of extension services, lack of investment, and the long-term requirement for establishment and returns. This review identifies that agroforestry significantly boosts Ethiopian smallholder incomes, asset accumulation, food security, and gender equity across diverse regions. The adoption of agroforestry is constrained by capital shortages, insecure land tenure, technical knowledge gaps, and delayed financial returns. To unlock this potential, strategic policy interventions must secure land certification and enhance specialised institutional extension services. Ultimately, integrating gender-responsive programming will minimise domestic workloads and foster equitable market returns, offering a scalable solution to poverty reduction.