This study explores whether and, if so, how agroforestry techniques can help subsistence farmers reduce their vulnerability to climate change. Climate models predict that climate change will cause, among other things, decreasing rainfall in arid areas, warmer temperatures, and increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events (Nelson 2010). It will be necessary to help small-scale farmers adapt to these significant climatic changes. Agroforestry, or the intentional use of trees in the cropping system, has been proposed by many development practitioners as a potential strategy to help farmers reduce their vulnerability to climate change.

From field research conducted in western Kenya, this study investigates how recent climate-related shocks and stresses have affected subsistence-farming communities. It concludes that farmers are not coping with floods, droughts and rainfall variability in a sustainable way. To cope with extreme weather events and variations, they are usually forced to sell farm tools, consume seeds reserved for planting and engage in other strategies that further drive them into poverty. Farmers believe that the most effective way to improve their capacity to adapt to climate-related shocks is by improving their general standard of living. The study then examined how agroforestry techniques help farmers reduce their vulnerability to these climate-related shocks. By comparing farmers engaged in an agroforestry project with a control group of neighbouring farmers it was proven that agroforestry does help reduce their vulnerability to climate related-hazards. Engagement in agroforestry improves households’ farm productivity, off-farm incomes, wealth and the environmental conditions of their farms. Thus, agroforestry techniques should be used as part of future adaptation programs to help subsistence farmers reduce their vulnerability to climate-related hazards.