The book Pastoralism and Development in Africa: Dynamic Change at the Margins had its Kenya launch in Nairobi on 13 February 2013. The keynote speaker was Hon. Mohamed Elmi, Minister of State for Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands, who spoke about the book to an audience of policy makers, researchers, development practitioners and journalists.

“What I value about this book is the richness and diversity it portrays. It does not ignore the challenges, nor the fact that the changes we are witnessing in pastoral areas – of greater commercialisation, individualisation and integration – will have both winners and losers. But alongside these it gives us the positive examples of pastoralists adapting successfully to change, as they always have. And it captures the innovation among peoples who are too often dismissed as backward and reactionary,” said the Minister.

Change is sweeping the Greater Horn of Africa and many of the other drylands of the world. New threats are appearing, as well as opportunities. In a new post on the ILRI blog, Susan MacMillan looks at the section on climate change in the book Pastoralism and Development in Africa.

The chapter on climate change, written by scientists connected to ILRI, argues that efforts to adapt to climate change will need to need to learn from pastoralists.

This book gives a view of ‘development at the margins’ in the pastoral areas of the Horn of Africa. Edited by Andy Catley, Jeremy Lind and Ian Scoones, Pastoralism and Development In Africa highlights innovation and entrepreneurialism, cooperation, networking and diverse approaches which are rarely in line with standard development prescriptions. (Description en français)

Through 20 detailed empirical chapters, the book highlights diverse pathways of development beyond the standard narratives.

Paperback, £24.95 GBP
Buy online (discount code: PDA20)

This book is part of the STEPS Centre's Pathways to Sustainability book series.

 

Livestock is important to the economies of countries in Northern and Eastern Africa, and there has been a need to demonstrate this contribution. The FAO IGAD Livestock Policy Initiative has published a series of studies by Roy Behnke (together with co-authors) on the contribution of livestock to the national economies of four countries in the region: Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda.

This project explores how changes in social, economic and political systems in the Horn of Africa are changing the nature of pastoralism, and the new types of pastoralism that are emerging.

Our research explores the following areas:

The characteristics of the changing economy in pastoral areas of the Horn of Africa associated with new dynamics of marketing, trade, investment and integration,

the emergence of new forms of pastoralism, and pastoral engagement with other production systems, in and as a result of these new systemic contexts, and

the changing engagement of pastoralists and pastoral systems in political environments in the region.

Securing land tenure for pastoralists in Kenya is one of the major concerns for policymakers from the pastoral community.

A breakfast meeting hosted by Future Agricultures Consortium and its partners, Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE) and Pastoralists Development Network of Kenya (PDNK) addressed the issue.  Members of parliament from the pastoral community expressed concerns that pastoralists continue to lose large chunks of their land to competing interests such as irrigation agricultural and to private developers.

FAC Researchers speak about pastoral innovation after presenting five research findings at FAC's University of the Bush in November 2010.

 

The second in the series of seminars known as the ‘University of the Bush’ took place at Malka Bisan Adi near Kinna, Kenya, on 22-24 November 2010. Around 50 pastoralists attended from across Kenya and southern Ethiopia. They were joined by the local MP, Hon. Abdul Ali Bahar and MP for Saku and Deputy Minister for the Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands, Hon. Hussein Tari Sasura. Two representatives from DFID-Kenya also attended the seminar.

 

An international conference to debate the future of pastoralists in Africa, 21-23 March 2011, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The future of pastoralism in Africa is uncertain and radical changes are affecting Pastoralist areas in terms of access to resources, options for mobility and opportunities for marketing. These changes bring new possibilities for making pastoralist livelihoods stronger but many questions remain about the sustainability of these changes: Is there opportunity for a productive, vibrant, market-oriented livelihood system or will pastoralist areas remain a backwater of underdevelopment, marginalisation and severe poverty? How can pastoralist ‘drop-outs’ be supported after they leave the livelihood but continue to interact with the livestock sector?

The research focus of this project has been to explore and critically assess pastoralist innovation systems.

There has been very little literature on innovation in the livestock sector and a particular lack of knowledge on innovation involving pastoralists. Existing formal innovation systems in the livestock sector emphasise the development of new technology and knowledge by scientists, such as cross-breeding livestock and improving methods of artificial insemination, reflecting a bias toward ranching and commercial beef production.

Policy briefing

Innovation works: pastoralists building secure livelihoods in the Horn of Africa (download PDF)