11. SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES IN AGROFORESTRY

11.5  Policy issues and legislation

Policy issues and legislation can have a great impact on tree growing. Compared to several other countries in eastern Africa the policy environment in Kenya has been favourable for tree growing. Secure and clear tree and land tenure and a relative freedom to harvest trees and sell tree products have provided incentive, and the rural people have responded with intense tree growing on farms in many areas.

There are, however, some issues that have been repeatedly discussed in recent years and extensionists and farmers have argued that they are disincentives to tree growing and development.

One such issue is the application of the Chief's Act to the regulation of tree cutting. Even if the immediate intention is to prevent indiscriminate felling of trees, such restrictions may make farmers unsure of the benefit of growing trees and thus choose not to grow as many trees as they otherwise might.

Another issue relates to restrictions on production and trade in charcoal. Charcoal making and the sale of charcoal are restricted both by permit requirements and by price control. Charcoal is still an essential commodity that will tend to find its way to the customer regardless of regulations. It has been suggested that deregulation would make the growing of trees for charcoal more sustainable than at present.

A third issue is that of delays in the subdivision of farms and the issuing of title deeds. As noted earlier, insecurity of tenure is a major disincentive to all forms of investment.

A fourth issue is the permit requirement for production of fruit-tree seedlings. This requirement, if it were to be enforced, would make it too costly and cumbersome for individual small-scale farmers to raise and sell fruit-tree seedlings.