Analysis of farmers’ perception and adoption of agroforestry technology as climate change mitigation strategy in Edo State, Nigeria

Climate change constitutes a major threat to environment and agriculture in developing countries. The study was, therefore, conducted to assess the socioeconomic characteristics of farmers’ perception of agroforestry as climate change mitigation strategy, and to determine the factors influencing agroforestry adoption as climate change mitigation strategy in the study area. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 300 respondents, out of which information from 299 respondents were suitable for analysis. Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire, and were analysed with the aid of descriptive statistics and probit modeling. Data were collected on socioeconomic characteristics of respondents and farmers’ perception of climate elements and agroforestry techniques in mitigating climate change. Results of analysis showed that farmers were in their active ages and are mostly married. Farmers also perceived that temperature and sunshine hour were on the increase, while they also perceived that agroforestry is soil fertility enhancing. Probit analysis showed that perceived soil fertility enhancement of the technology (p≤0.10), perceived drought controlling capacity of the technology (p≤0.05), farm size (p≤0.01) and membership of association (p≤0.10) were positive determinants of farmers’ adoption of agroforestry as climate change mitigation strategy in the area. The paper concludes that farmers should be encouraged to belong to farming associations, and should be educated on the importance of agroforestry in fertility enhancement and drought control.