The perception of benefits from the 'Adopt-a-Forest' initiative in Kenya

Abstract

Forest resources play a crucial role in sustainable development, but they face challenges such as degradation and loss. Forest adoption has emerged as an innovative and collaborative approach to forest management to address these challenges. Kenya has implemented this approach, but the driving forces and stakeholder perceptions behind its adoption are poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the perception of partners on the benefits of forest adoption in Kenya. The study used a literature review and 20 key informant interviews to explore the context of forest adoption in the country. The results showed that the "adopt-a-forest" approach is a multidimensional solution for improving forest management in Kenya, bringing social, economic, and environmental benefits to partnering stakeholders. The initiative fosters interagency collaboration and breaks down old inefficiencies in forest management. However, interagency collaboration is uneven across counties and regions, and a robust benefit-sharing policy is lacking. The study calls for a monitoring and evaluation framework with clear indicators and a benefit-sharing policy, as well as more quantitative studies to better understand the motivations behind forest adoption by individuals, government agencies, non-profits, and private companies.