Trees and farms in Asia : an analysis of farm and village forest use practices in South and Southeast Asia

The study examined use of tree products by farms of varying sizes. At least 50 households, including landless families, in 26 villages were surveyed. Four general trends are evident. (1) Farm size affects the ways a household uses tree products. For example, medium- and large-farm households use tree products as their primary source of fodder more often than small-farm households. Small-farm households use state forests as a major source of fuelwood much more frequently than the others, while charcoal tends to be used only by large-farm households. Medium- and large-sized farm households are more likely than the others to use timber regularly. (2) While extension services appear to contribute to agroforestry practices, socioeconomic and other factors appear to be equally important. (3) The most common on- farm site for growing trees is the home garden, while the second most common source is trees scattered in crop fields. (4) Fruit and other food trees are the most popular and widely used multipurpose trees, regardless of farm size.