Assessment of the Impact of Agroforestry Education on Biodiversity Conservation and Community Development

Education spreads its tentacles to all areas of life; it is the bedrock of socio-political and economic development. This study was conducted in two of the NIHORT’s adopted villages namely Egbeda and Baayaoje established in 1997 in Oyo State, Nigeria to investigate whether the training given to the community members on the method of agroforestry practices actually yielded any positive impact within the last 10years. The training given includes rapid multiplication of seedlings, crop processing and utilization, cultivation and integration of different crops on a piece of land, and farm records keeping. Data obtained were analyzed using Cobb Douglas production function and other relevant statistical estimators. Factors responsible for the adoption of this farm practice among the trainees includes land availability, willingness to accept the farming technology training attendance and others. The impacts of agroforestry education on these communities were made manifest in the form of improved environmental protection and increased revenue generation. It is suggested among others that government should promote and prioritize education/training among rural people; this will serve as a tool of communicating and disseminating research findings and policies to the rural populace for speedy growth and sustainable development.