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Influence of
property rights on farmers’ willingness to plant indigenous
fruit trees in Malawi and Zambia
G. German1,3, F. K. Akinnifesi2*,
A. K. Edriss3, G. Sileshi2, C.
Masangano3
and O. C. Ajayi2
1World Relief, P. O. Box 30717, Lilongwe 3, Malawi.
2World
Agroforestry Centre, Southern Africa Regional Programme,
Chitedze Agricultural Research Station, P. O. Box 30798,
Lilongwe, Malawi.
3University
of Malawi, Bunda College of Agriculture, P. O. Box 219,
Lilongwe, Malawi.
*Corresponding author.
E-mail:
fakinnifesi@africa-online.net
Accepted 15 February, 2009 |
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Despite the important role that indigenous fruit trees play
in the food security and livelihood of households in
southern Africa, investments in the cultivation and
conservation of indigenous fruit trees (IFTs) by farm
communities is very low. Through the use of reconnaissance
surveys, household surveys and focus group discussions, this
study assessed the effects of land and tree tenures and
household characteristics on farmers’ willingness to plant
and domesticate IFTs in Malawi and Zambia. Results revealed
that 98% of land cultivated by smallholder farmers in Malawi
and Zambia were under customary land tenure system, and were
conducive for tree cultivation as opposed to leasehold land
tenure systems. The existing land user-rights of customary
land were of private property regime, and provided
smallholder farmers much freedom in land utilization.
Household tree tenure was observed to account for 96% of
tree tenure types, and is favourable to IFTs’ cultivation.
Farmers’ resource endowment, cultural practices and
socio-economic characteristics had overriding effects on
fruit tree planting. The weak extension capacity, lack of
knowledge in IFT cultivation, seedling scarcity, cultural
norms such as matrilineal inheritance system were identified
as major disincentives to fruit tree planting. Household
size and formal education increased the probability of
farmers to plant fruit trees in the study area. Contrary to
popular notion, the existing land and tree tenure systems do
not impose constrains on the cultivation of IFT by
households.
Key words: Conservation,
domestication, investment decision, land tenures, tree
tenure. |
