Pastoral farming is booming due to the increasing global demand for animal products. In addition to the production of meat, milk and hides, pastoralism provides many other social (employment), economic (savings) and environmental (manure, energy…) services.
Pastoralism is an extensive production system in which livestock are fed mainly from the exploitation of natural pastures. It can thus be distinguished from fixed or sedentary livestock farming by the movement of the herds. All BIODEV2030 countries have identified agriculture as a priority economic sector contributing to the erosion of biodiversity and the country’s development. 3have specifically selected pastoral farming: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya.
PASTORAL FARMING STAKEHOLDERS & ECONOMIC ISSUES
Pastoralism is an ancestral activity. It has grown significantly in recent decades with the increase in demand for animal products. Indeed, it is an essential source of economic activity in arid areas where other forms of agriculture are impossible.
Pastoral farming products are therefore an important source of household income. They make a significant contribution to the countries’ GDP. For example, pastoralism accounts for 34% of the income of rural households in Burkina Faso. Furthermore, its share in the GDP of Ethiopia and Kenya is 19% and 13% respectively1.
Pastoralists produce much of the meat and milk in Africa. However, they face enormous difficulties in selling them. So, all stakeholders in the pastoral farming value chain (producers, traders, processors, financial institutions, the state) have a common interest in working together to improve production practices and increase market opportunities.
265 millions
people in Africa directly dependent on pastoralism for their livelihoods
Source: Nugteren, Henk and Le Côme, Catherine. Published by: Fred Zaal, Thea Hilhorst and Jacqueline Sluijs. 2016. Unlocking pastoralism’s potential to develop West Africa.
1.3 billion
people estimated to benefit from the livestock value chain
Source: International Livestock Research Institute
IMPACTS OF PASTORAL FARMING ON BIODIVERSITY
However, pastoral farming exerts great pressure on ecosystems. Herd movements, increasing herd sizes and poor management of plant resources contribute to the main mechanisms responsible for the erosion of biodiversity in Sahelian regions: modification of habitats, overexploitation of resources, pollution, biological invasions.
Demographic growth and agricultural expansion have led to the densification of livestock activities on dwindling pastureland. Overgrazing, exacerbated by the increase in herd sizes, contributes to desertification. The modification of habitats (soil degradation, impoverishment of vegetation, introduction of plant species for grazing) impoverishes the living environment. It also favours the invasion of invasive species, whose progress is facilitated by the movement of livestock and the use of bush fires. Excessive pressure on the environment creates a vicious circle that can be aggravated by bad weather.
40%
Share of African land area exploited by pastoralists
Source: Nugteren, Henk and Le Côme, Catherine. Published by: Fred Zaal, Thea Hilhorst and Jacqueline Sluijs. 2016. Unlocking pastoralism’s potential to develop West Africa.
Pastoral farming has negative impacts on biodiversity due to:
1. Overgrazing: impoverishment of the environment which can lead to desertification. The movement of livestock should not be guided solely by the availability of resources. Their renewal and the load capacity of the environment must be taken into account.
2. The reduction in the number of pastures: leading to increased competition for fodder from wild varieties and the grazing of livestock in protected areas.
3. Pastoral practices: veterinary treatment, bush fires or the cultivation of fodder for livestock lead to pollution and biological invasions. These practices must be controlled and reduced.