Homegarden agroforestry systems in achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. A review

Homegarden, a type of agroforestry system, is one of the earliest thriving traditional food systems reported. Studying the contribution of homegardens in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is crucial when the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the achievement of many of the crucial SDGs. In this review, we focused on 94 peer-reviewed papers on homegardens from 2010 to 2021 to interrelate them with the corresponding targets and indicators of each SDG. The SDGs were classified into five categories, each focusing on a specific aspect: Category 1 (SDGs 1-5, poverty dimension), Category 2 (SDGs 6-9, development infrastructures), Category 3 (SDGs 10-12, sustainable production and consumption), Category 4 (SDGs 13-15, green infrastructures), and Category 5 (SDGs 16-17, green institutions). The distribution of the 94 papers analyzed was 92%, 23%, 33%, 51%, and 50% in each of the SDG categories, respectively. Category 1 and SDG 2 were found to be most realized in the homegarden literature. Important observations were found that highlight homegardens' probable use in providing food security, nutritional needs, health and wellness, preservation of agrobiodiversity, and enduring sustainability. Homegardens appear to be an important strategy for attaining the SDGs and can be accomplished with proper planning, in addition to taking into consideration how the traditional societies have sustained it for long.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13593-022-00781-9.

A transforming traditional community based forest management: the case of Loita community forest, Kenya

Governments are pushing for decentralization of forestry governance, but in Loita community forest, the traditional community management organization is inviting government and other stakeholders to participate in the forests' management. This study was undertaken through questionnaires, Focus Group Discussion, Key Informant Interviews, and participant observation. Loita community forest is a community forest supposed to be managed by the County Government on behalf of the community since the community is not registered as a legal entity to manage and own the forest as required by the Land Act. The community was practically managing the forest under Traditional Community Based Forest Management. The community leadership was faltering, resulting in forest degradation. This challenge was being mitigated by inviting (pluralism) other stakeholders to enhance forest management capacity. There was fear that the national government's inclusion in Loita forest management may result in inequitable sharing of power and authority and further weaken the community governance systems. This emerging governance regime lacks; a strategy for strengthening the capacity of the traditional community organization, legal framework, and some of the partners joining have extensive network and power with potential for disfranchising the traditional organization through introducing and or amending the traditional regulations to satisfy their interests. There is a need to develop partnership guidelines to guide the pluralism scenario emerging to support the sustainable management of Loita forest and ensure community traditional organization's transformation does not weaken or replace the community organization.

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This paper provides information on Entim e Naimina Enkiyio which means “the forest of the lost child” or Loita Community Forest.

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Further the traditional management system is facing challenges of modernity leading to start of forest degradation.

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Policy support is required to enhance the managements' contribution to community livelihoods and forest conservation.