In the nutshell, the study concludes that beyond socio-economic benefits banana-coffee agroforestry farming systems have beneficial effects on soil fertility and Carbon storage compared to banana monocultures. Therefore banana-coffee agroforestry sytems should be promoted because they are more resilient under the current climate variabilities.

1. Joshua Zake, March 2015 (updated)
Doctoral Candidate, Collaboration between Department of Forestry
and Soils, and Centre for Development Research (CDR), BOKU,
Vienna, Austria; and Environmental Alert, Kampala, Uganda
Telephone: +256712862050,+436889585364,+256773057488;
Email: joszake@gmail.com
Banana-coffee agroforestry systems
contribute to food security and climate
change mitigation among smallholder
farmers in Central Uganda

2. Situation
• Majority of farmers (40%) in Kintuntu and Nkozi sub-
counties grow bananas and coffee robusta as
monocultures;
• 26% of farmers in Kintuntu and Nkozi sub counties practice
banana-coffee robusta agroforestry systems;
• Majority of farmers perceived that climate variability
disasters (prolonged droughts – 78%, pests and disease
out breaks – 50% heavy rains with strong winds – 37%, - )
have occurred in Kintuntu and Nkozi sub-counties in the
last 2-5 years
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3. Negative impacts
• Farmers growing banana and coffee as monocultures
were most affected by climate variability induced
disasters and impacts – especially prolonged droughts;
• Reduced crop yields;
• Destruction of crop fields;
• Increased pests and diseases outbreak in the
plantations;
• Increased household food insecurity and reduced
income
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3

4. Interestingly
“Banana-coffee robusta
agroforestry systems farmers
coped better against impacts of
climate variability induced
disasters“
-At the right spacing banana,
coffee and other agroforestry tree
species can mutually coexist;
-The farmers benefit from harvest
of both crops (i.e. food, cash, fuel
wood…) throughout the year
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4

5. Key message
“Promote Banana-
coffee robusta
agroforestry systems
for food/income
security and
contribute to climate
change mitigation
among smallholder
farmers in Mpigi
district, Central
Uganda”
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6. Positive outcomes of banana –coffee
agroforestry
• Increased soil fertility in terms of soil organic
matter and Nitrogen under banana-coffee robusta
agroforestry;
• Increased household food security among
smallholder farmers practicing banana-coffee
robusta agroforestry system;
• Banana-coffee robusta agroforestry systems store
more carbon in the soil (14 t/ha) - 2 times greater
than banana mono culture farming systems. Thus
have better mitigation potential for climate change.
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7. Next actions/steps
• Practicing agro-forestry (banana-coffee robusta
and other agroforestry trees species) and leave by
example in the community;
• Increased resources allocation to support
establishment of banana-coffee robusta
agroforestry farms thus through awareness and
training of farmers, access to improved planting
materials – bananas, coffee and appropriate agro-
forestry tree species;
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8. Next actions/steps
• Enact legislation (ordinances and byelaws) to promote
banana-coffee robusta agroforestry systems at local
level;
• Provide incentives (recognition of outstanding farmers,
access to micro-finance…) for farmers to adapt banana-
coffee robusta agroforestry farming systems.
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9. Selected references for further reading
• Zake, J. and Hauser, M. (2014). Farmers' perceptions of
implementation of climate variability disaster preparedness
strategies in Central Uganda. Journal of Environmental
Hazards. doi:10.1080/17477891.2014.910491
• Zake, J., Pietsch, S. A., Friedel, J. K. and Zechmeister-
Boltenstern, S. (2015), Can agroforestry improve soil
fertility and carbon storage in smallholder banana farming
systems?. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci..
doi: 10.1002/jpln.201400281
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10. Thank you for
listening!!!
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