Evaluation of the Influence of Project Stakeholders’ Policy Advocacy on Sustainable Agroforestry Programs in Kilifi County, Kenya
Nzaro Charles Chai, Benard Lango & Ruth Njeri Karuu
The Catholic University of Eastern Africa
Email: charlesphil95@gmail.com
Abstract: While there have been significant ecological, economic, and social benefits of agroforestry, particularly palm tree cultivation, the sustainability of agroforestry programs in many regions remains constrained by inadequate stakeholder collaboration and weak policy support. This study examined the influence of project stakeholders’ policy advocacy on sustainable agroforestry programs in Kilifi County, Kenya. Objectives were: to assess the influence of governance policies,membership diversity, legal frameworks and how knowledge transfer influence sustainable agroforestry programs in Kilifi County. Social Network Theory and Common Pool Resource Theory was used in this study. Convergent parallel mixed methods research design was adopted. The target population 167 stakeholders from which a sample of 126 participants was selected using stratified random, simple random, and purposive sampling techniques. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and interview guides. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The study found that stakeholders’ policy advocacy positively influences the sustainability of agroforestry programs (M = 3.60, SD = 1.14). Inferential results revealed that policy advocacy (β = 0.628, p < 0.001) was a positive and significant predictor of the sustainability of palm tree growing programs. The study concludes that effective stakeholders’ policy advocacy is critical for the sustainability of agroforestry programs. It recommends strengthening adaptive policy advocacy mechanisms to enhance the long-term sustainability of palm tree agroforestry initiatives in Kilifi County. Further research may explore the sustainability of agroforestry initiatives in other counties in Kenya to enhance the generalizability of the findings.
