Tree planting incentives and stakeholders in the Albertine rift region, Uganda

Abstract

The study assessed the influence of incentives and the roles of stakeholders in tree planting and the trees preferred by farmers in Kiryanga Sub county, Kagadi district, Albertine rift region. Key informant interviews, focus group discussions and household interviews were conducted to generate data on the influence of incentives on tree planting and farmer tree species’ preferences. In addition, stakeholder analysis methods were used to document the roles of stakeholders in tree planting. The X^2 test established associations between incentives and tree planting while a t-test was conducted to test for differences in characteristics of non-tree farmers and tree farmers. Results indicate that incentives are important in tree planting although some did not match farmers’ interests (X^2= 35.13, p <0.05). The incentives that mattered most were: tree seedlings (84.6%) and cash payments (69.4%) while farm tours as an incentive did not match farmers’ interests. The success attributed to incentives mainly depended on land size, tree species’ preferences and stakeholder engagement. In addition, Local Government (LG) and Civil Society Organizations (CSO) such as World Vision Uganda (WVU) and Uganda Rural Development and Training (URDT) were important stakeholders in tree planting. For example, the LG trained, guided and mobilized farmers during tree planting. WVU promoted regenerating trees from stumps. URDT sensitized and trained farmers in tree planting. The study concludes that, provision of tree seedlings and cash payments should be the incentives to be promoted, LG and CSOs are crucial stakeholders in tree planting, and Eucalyptus spp., Mangifera indica, and Pinus spp. are the preferred tree species to be promoted with incentives. It is therefore important that different stakeholders work together in appropriate platforms to adopt incentive-based tree planting.