Households living adjacent to Kenya’s public forests have lost an estimated Sh240 million in annual income over the past five years as the area allocated for food production under the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS) fell sharply.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) data show that land used for community food crops in public forests contracted from 8,410 ha in 2019 to 3,636 ha in 2024.

During the same period, forest cover increased from 3.47 million ha to 3.59 million ha, reflecting afforestation and restoration programmes that added 124,003 ha of forest land.

Despite the overall forest expansion, earnings from forest‑based farming dropped from Sh421 million in 2019 to Sh182 million between 2022 and 2024, a reduction of more than half.

Maize cultivation, the most common crop under PELIS, saw its cultivated area fall from 3,814 ha in 2019 to 1,427 ha annually from 2022, costing maize growers an estimated Sh120 million in lost income each year.

Potato farmers reported a Sh47 million annual loss, while cabbage, sukuma wiki and pea growers each faced similar declines, with pea farmers losing about Sh24 million per year.

Under PELIS, communities organized as Community Forest Associations are temporarily permitted to farm small plots within young plantations, continuing until tree canopies close and further cultivation becomes impractical.

KNBS notes that the reported contribution of public forests to household incomes – estimated at Sh182–420 million annually – likely understates the true value because it excludes non‑timber forest products such as traditional vegetables and insects.