Prevalence, economic contribution, and determinants of trees on farms across Sub-Saharan Africa

- National scale evidence on the economic contribution of on-farm trees is lacking.
- We use national household survey data on trees on farms reported across five African countries.
- > 30% of all rural households reported having trees on their farms.
- Trees on farms account for 6% of annual gross income on average for all rural households.
- National context and forest proximity were consistent predictors of trees on farms.

Trees on farms are often overlooked in agricultural and natural resource research and policy in Sub-Saharan Africa. This article addresses this gap using data from the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture in five countries: Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. Trees on farms are widespread. On average, almost a third of rural smallholders grow trees. They account for an average of 17% of total annual gross income for tree-growing households and 6% for all rural households. Gender, land and labor endowments, and especially forest proximity and national context are key determinants of on-farm tree adoption and management. These new, national-scale insights on the prevalence, economic contribution and determinants of trees on farms in Africa lay the basis for exploring the interaction of agriculture, on-farm tree cultivation, and forestry to gain a more complete picture of the dynamics of rural livelihoods across the continent and beyond.