Knowledge Bank

World food production must increase by 70%, and double in developing countries, in order to adequately feed an additional two billion people projected to inhabit Earth by the year 2050. Dissemination of new agricultural technologies to farmers, specifically young farmers who must be part of the solution in 2050, should be pursued. The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) has identified specific fertilizer trees that, when incorporated into farming systems, have been proven to nearly double crop yields in Sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, ICRAF lacks strategies to disseminate and implement this technological innovation throughout Africa. The objective of this study was to recommend teaching techniques for disseminating knowledge about agroforestry to Kenyan youth for ICRAF to use in future curriculum development. Ten schools in Kenya were selected by ICRAF and visited to present a brief program about agroforestry to students. Each presentation consisted of an introduction, learning activities to teach basic agroforestry concepts, and an evaluation. Overall, twelve techniques were used to teach the Kenyan students about agroforestry concepts. Each technique was observed and rated by three presenters based on factors including: the students’ ability to recall knowledge and their interest/excitement in participating in each activity. Personal interviews were also conducted with teachers, students and community members to assess other contextual factors that may have been related to the effectiveness and/or impact of the educational program. Based on observations and ratings, lessons that incorporated stories and experiential learning activities appeared to be most effective in disseminating information to students. Based on the results of this study, ICRAF can now proceed to develop more effective lessons to increase agroforestry awareness and practices among young farmers.