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Pastoralism at the Crossroads: Exploring the Opportunities in Vulnerable Livelihood Systems

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Presenter and Moderator: Andy Catley, Research Director for Policy Process, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University.  Panelists: Abdi Abdullahi Hussein, Executive Director, Pastoralist Concern;  Assefa Tewodros, Project Coordinator, Federal Project Coordination Unit of the Pastoral Community Development Project (PCDP); Axel Weiser, Chief of Party, Pastoralist Livelihoods Initiative II, Save the Children 

In an environment of increasing drought frequency, diminishing water resources, and encroachment onto grazing land of large-scale farming and other commercial ventures, the threats to the pastoralist lifestyle are acute. This session explored, from an implementation perspective, what we know about what works, what doesn't work, and why.

Andy began the plenary session with a framing presentation that explored key dimensions of resource and market access in pastoralist communities and how these factors impact what may be the optimal choices for program design and orientation. Andy noted that it is common to hear that pastoralism is dying out as a way of life and livelihood. This is due to the impacts of drought and climate change.  He offered, however, what he called an alternative storyline, the economic growth narrative, where pastoralism has great potential, where livestock trade is strong and growing, taking place at high volume, and growing more resilient.

The best programs will understand the group they are targeting and the opportunities available to these groups in terms of the two key dimensions identified: access to resources and access to markets. Pastoralist drop-outs tend to be those with low access along both dimensions. These drop-outs tend to move out of the pastoralist areas into more urban and peri-urban areas where a different set of supports will be required to maintain food security. Those with strong access along both dimensions have greater opportunities to move up into more commercially viable models of pastoralism. Programs can help bolster access where it is weak.

Panelist Abdi Abdullahi Hussein noted that pastoralism is a production system that need not rely on livestock alone and that while eating fish was taboo some years ago, this has changed and many pastoralists rely on fishing and farming as well. Axel noted the importance of understanding the diversity of pastoralist systems and the need to include understanding of the complex drivers in the local system, including education, nutrition and health. Assefa stressed as others did, that pastoralism is not dying but rather changing, and returned to the question of pastoralists leaving their traditional rangeland, stressing that the Ethiopian constitution is not meant to allow for pastoralists to be uprooted from their land. Relocation and resettlement of pastoralists is a continuing and sensitive political issue.

Discussion with the audience focused on several key issues: the importance of maintaining mobility for herds, even across national borders, a tendency to treat symptoms rather than the large complex issues influencing pastoralist systems, the role of safety nets in supporting both those moving out and those being pushed out of pastoralism, the importance of infrastructure in the region, including roads, communication systems, electricity, all of which have facilitated diversification of livelihoods, and finally, the need for better understanding and analysis of livestock marketing which could lead not only to more appropriate interventions but also at a policy level to better recognition, as in the African Union policy framework, of the economic value of pastoralists.

 

The Way Forward: Patricipants made suggestions in the following areas:

Knowledge Sharing

More presentations/information on pastoralists' livelihoods (traditional, diversified, agro-pastoral, etc.) is needed, as well as where they are located, the percentage of the total population they represent by geography, etc.

More knowledge sharing is necessary to understand the projects current and past projects implemented in pastoralist contexts and their results.

Program Design

Include conflict mitigation in programs in pastoralist areas.

Research and Evidence Base

Conduct rigorous action research to generate evidence to inform policymakers on the comparative advantage of pastoralism over alternative land-uses

A greater understanding of trends over time is necessary.

More detailed study is necessary for greater understanding of the opportunities and potential of pastoral production systems.

Better understanding is needed of the connections between pastoralists and those who have migrated and settled in towns and cities – this could be in terms of economics, food transfers, social dynamics. 

Explore the opportunities and pitfalls of commercialization and ranching in pastoralist areas. Capitalizing of opportunities could be possible through organizing groups of pastoralists in cooperative ventures.

Donor Policy and Practice

Information on donor investment goals and target groups is desired.

Capacity Strengthening and Tools

Geographical information system (GIS) management training for implementers would be beneficial.