Understanding people and forest interrelations along an intensification gradient in Arsi-Negele, Ethiopia

Abstract

This chapter presents the results of a scoping study conducted along an agricultural intensification and forest cover gradient from Arsi-Negele town to Munessa Forest in southern Ethiopia. It summarizes preliminary research in the study area led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo, CIMMYT) as part of the Agrarian Change Project, a multi-country comparative research project led by CIFOR. The objective was to gather information that will guide further research in the area including; characterization of the intensification gradient (context), access to resources, livelihood strategies, market access and value chains, institutional support, and perceptions of change (land-cover change and historical trends).