Life Sciences Commons^™

Range-Based Livestock Production In Turkmenistan, R. H. Behnke, G. Davidson

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Turkmenistan retains a centralized system of livestock production in which many critical assets are owned by the state. Though technically in the temperate zone, the country's climate is harsh and unstable. Groundwater resources are unevenly distributed, leaving many potential grazing areas seasonally inaccessible due to lack of drinking water for livestock. This paper summarizes the results of a three-year study of rangelands, livestock production, flock economics and land tenure at two study sites, one in central and the other in eastern Turkmenistan. The results of this study suggest that pastoral communities in Turkmenistan have coped remarkably well with the institutional …

Feasibility Of Organic Certification Of Sheep And Goats Produced In Pastoral Systems In Northern Kenya, F. Von Steimker, H. T. Wario, B. Kaufmann

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

In pastoral systems of Kenya, sale of small ruminants is the main regular income source for most households. Although the meat of small ruminants produced in Marsabit county is preferred in the domestic market, no mechanisms are in place that allow for a respective price differentiation. Establishing value chains for labelled sheep and goat meat would be an option to allow pastoralists to profit from their high process and product quality. The aim of the current study is to assess the requirements and feasibility to establish a value chain for labelled products (e.g. origin labelled, organic certified) together with the …

Pastoralist Conservation: Local Ecological Knowledge And Collective Action For Grassland Conservation In Sierra De Segura (Spain), P. Sanosa-Cols, F. Ravera, F. Dominguez, M. Ventura

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Even if Pastoralism is not practised anymore by a majority of families in the Sierra de Segura (south-eastern Andalusia, Spain), it is still considered a paradigmatic way of life and management of its highlands and a key cultural heritage deeply rooted in local identity. In this article we explore two pastoral communities of this region, Santiago and Pontones, with their body of situated knowledge of the territory and natural resources, which helps pastoralists to organize their livelihoods, while requiring collective organization to manage access to grasslands. Through an ethnographic research based on participant observation and in-depth interviews, we explore the …

Intensification Of Pastoralism As A Driver Of Degradation In The Algerian Steppe, S. Bencherif, P. Manzano

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Land degradation linked to pastoralism use has been a worldwide concern for decades. A biological approach has often been use to understand such phenomena, usually disregarding economic and social factors. Radical transformations of pastoralism at the Algerian steppe constitute a good case study to provide an integrated understanding and to better orient development in other pastoralist areas across the world. Different actions by the public sector since the 1960s, as well as the land legislation adopted and the strong agricultural subventions during 2000-2010, have favored a massive conversion of land and resource management. This translates into conversion of many pastures …

Could Cheese Be The Missing, Hard, Stable Currency To Fortify Self-Sufficiency Of Pastoralist Communities?, D. Schoder, J. Y. Laffa

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Traditional pastoral existence in Africa has always necessitated close, sustainable interaction with a harsh natural environment. Pastoralists, such as the indigenous Parakuyo Maasai of Tanzania traditionally depend on fresh cow’s milk as a staple. They are among the few African ethnic groups that still live as small, socially intact associations close to nature. Unfortunately, fresh milk is difficult to store and inevitably, times of plenty fluctuate with the times of hunger that threaten cultural retreat. Milk storage is particularly challenging in an arid climate without refrigeration and at such times, survival takes precedence over prosperity. We describe an ongoing pilot …

High Altitude Rangelands And Pastoralism In Bhutan: Using Sustainable Development Goals To Address Land Degradation And Poverty, J. E. Millar, K. Tenzing

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Semi-nomadic pastoralists in Bhutan live in high altitude rangelands where they seasonally migrate with yak and cattle herds from 3,000m to 5,000m. Population increase, overgrazing and climate change in eastern Bhutan have led to severe land degradation, winter fodder shortage and reduced milk production per head for herding families. This paper describes how Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were used to design a rangeland rehabilitation and livelihoods improvement program with herders in Merak district from 2016 to 2019. The aim was to restore degraded rangelands, improve pastures, develop savings schemes, resolve conflicts and increase conservation knowledge. The approach involved gender sensitive …

Linking Ground, Space And Knowledge: The Role Of Weather Forecasting In Pastoralists' Decision-Making, E. L. Mulder, V. C. Wright, S. C. Steele-Dunne, P. H. A. J. M. Van Gelder, H. C. Winsemius

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Changing weather patterns and decreasing land availability continue to challenge the livelihood of the pastoralists in northern Tanzania. The increasing variability of expected rains has complicated livestock management, often jeopardizing household resilience. Drought Early Warning Systems are being set up to contribute to decision-making processes at national and international levels. Nevertheless, due to the large spatial- and temporal resolution of these systems and their high uncertainties, these systems have limited value at a pastoral household level.

Therefore, this paper explores what type of weather and climate information is deemed valuable for pastoral households in Longido District, Tanzania. It is based …

Considering Natural Baselines When Calculating Livestock Impacts Point To A Negligible Role Of Grass-Fed Livestock Systems In Climate Change, P. Manzano, S. R. White

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The use of baselines is common in a variety of academic disciplines, including environmental science, but they are subjected to relativity depending on the geographical or historical reference considered. Such considerations are illustrated by how invasive species are evaluated or what reference baselines are considered in biodiversity assessments.

The measurement of livestock effects on climate change has, however, disregarded the use of baselines. Current methodology is based exclusively on greenhouse gas emissions by individual animals, without putting them in their ecological context. As a consequence, current analyses of livestock impacts put grass-fed ruminant systems in the spotlight, because of their …

Pastoralism, Social, Gender, And Policy Issues, Nahid Naghizadeh

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Nearly half of the Earth's land surface is classified as rangelands. Rangeland's health and productivity are directly critical to the livelihoods, cultures, and resilience of more than 500 million people worldwide, many of whom are indigenous peoples who depend on rangelands. Pastoralism is very diverse; it can be found in all continents, from the drylands of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to the highlands of Asia and Latin America, or the tundra in the circumpolar zones, and in particular where crop cultivation is physically limited. Pastoralism supports several hundred million households worldwide and manages one billion animals, including camels, cattle, …