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This paper summarizes the findings of three ex-ante studies, from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia, that examined the potential for adoption of agroforestry technologies should they be extended to farmers. Ethnographic linear programme modelling of households in all three locations shows that the potential adoption of these technologies depends on household composition, farm size, and availability of draft power. Results show that both male and female headed households can adopt the technology. A seed selling incentive enhanced adoption through augmenting household income and benefited farmers by increasing funds available for discretionary use. In Zimbabwe there was a greater increase in discretionary cash for draft animal owners than non-owners. It is concluded that in Southern Africa, improved fallows are a viable alternative to chemical fertilizer use for small farmers.

Research was conducted to assess the impact of HIV/AIDS on improved fallow adoption and rural household food security in Malawi. An ethnographic linear programming model was created for a representative household with three scenarios: no illness, adult female illness and adult male illness. Results show that the impact of HIV/AIDS on food production depends on the patient's gender. If a male head of household is sick and later dies, available field labour is reduced as family members are expected to care for him and, consequently, less food and cash crops are produced, which creates a food insecure household. However, when a woman is sick and later dies, the effect on male labour is not as great, as males are not care-givers. We conclude that in an HIV/AIDS environment, agroforestry adoption is more feasible in households in which available labour is undisrupted for longer periods of time.

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