Abstract
Thisstudyexamineshowhouseholdfruittreeadoptioncontributestoimprovingrurallivelihoods and nutrition in a region where agriculture remains the main source of income. Despite national efforts promoting fruit tree planting as a strategy to enhance food security, improve dietary diversity, and increase household incomes, many rural households in Western Province continue to experience moderate food insecurity, uneven income generation, and limited nutritional adequacy. The study assessed the extent of household fruit tree adoption, its socio-economic and nutritional outcomes, and the relationship between adoption practices and household wellbeing. A descriptive cross-sectional design with a mixed-methods approach was applied. The target population was 503,463, including household farmers, district agriculture staff, and sector agronomists. A sample of 288 households was selected using Slovin’s formula, complemented by 7 district agriculture staff and 96 sector agronomists, giving a total of 391 respondents (all Districts in Western Province). Data were collected using structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, and secondary documents. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings reveal that household fruit tree adoption is relatively positive associated with improved socio-economic outcomes, including increased income, employment opportunities, asset accumulation, and livelihood diversification. Regression results confirm that adoption variables explain a substantial proportion of socio-economic variation (R² = 0.427). Nutritional outcomes show a positive but weaker relationship with fruit tree adoption (R² = 0.149), mainly through dietary diversity and seasonal fruit consumption rather than full-year nutritional adequacy. Institutional support and extension services were found to enhance adoption but had limited direct nutritional influence. The study concludes that fruit tree adoption is a strong driver of socio-economic improvement and a moderate contributor to nutrition in Western Province. The findings provide important evidence for strengthening nutrition-sensitive agricultural policies and scaling up fruit tree-based interventions in Rwanda.