Seeing Beyond Fertiliser Trees A Case Study of a Community Based Participatory Approach to Agroforestry Research and Development in Western Kenya

Agroforestry as practiced in Kenya cuts across various disciplines and extension activities are carried out mainly by two ministries, i.e. Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture. This chapter gives an overview of the evolution of agriculture and forestry extension in Kenya in these two ministries. A detailed account is given of how extension has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of clients and to become more effective in response to economic and development policies imposed by the international donor community. The evolution of extension approaches from the linear transfer of technology (ToT) model to the holistic approach, with emphasis on integrated rural development and farming systems approach, followed by the Training and Visit approach to the current participatory approaches of the 1990s is described. Participation is discussed in detail, with emphasis on how it is understood in development circles and also highlighting various criticisms of the approach. The chapter further discusses the current status of extension in Kenya and prevailing challenges.