Institute of Development Studies
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Livestock and Pastoralism
Livestock are essential for livelihoods in Africa, particularly in the drier, marginal pastoral areas. Yet development investments in the livestock sector have consistently failed.
IDS research has challenged the assumptions of much conventional policy thinking in the livestock sector. By making the case for a non-equilibrium approach to understanding rangelands, for example, the opportunistic strategies of pastoralists can be recognised.
Living in the drylands means living with uncertainty, and standardised, blueprint approaches to development can never work. Recognising dynamic ecological systems means rethinking the principles of livestock and range management, as well as approaches to animal health and veterinary disease control. Uncertain environments also require new thinking for planning and policy processes and systems for tenure, marketing and administration.
News
Pastoralists: moving with the times
Published: 4 Apr 2011
New analysis of how pastoralists are continuing to adapt to changes in their environment is debunking myths of pastoralism in crisis and highlighting policy opportunities.
Why the UK Government must make agriculture a top development priority
Published: 23 Aug 2010
IDS Professorial Fellow Ian Scoones argues that the UK's Department for International Development must look to agriculture to meet its new priorities in the long term
Changing climates, changing lives: Local voices and adaptation to climate change
Published: 17 Jun 2010
A joint report launched by IDS, Action Against Hunger and Tearfund reveals that pastoral households in Ethiopia and Mali are finding it increasingly difficult to tackle current climate risks and meet their food and nutrition needs.
New analysis of how pastoralists are continuing to adapt to changes in their environment is debunking myths of pastoralism in crisis and highlighting policy opportunities.
IDS Professorial Fellow Ian Scoones argues that the UK's Department for International Development must look to agriculture to meet its new priorities in the long term
A joint report launched by IDS, Action Against Hunger and Tearfund reveals that pastoral households in Ethiopia and Mali are finding it increasingly difficult to tackle current climate risks and meet their food and nutrition needs.
Events
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Latest Publications on Livestock and Pastoralism »
- Lind, J. (2011) 'Cattle, Land, and Grazing in the Turkana-Karamoja Cluster: Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia' in Young, H. and Goldman, L. (eds), Strengthening Post-Conflict Peace-Building through Natural Resource Management, Washington, D.C.: Earthscan
- Devereux, S. (2010) 'Better Marginalised than Incorporated? Pastoralist Livelihoods in Somali Region, Ethiopia', European Journal of Development Research 22:678–695, London: Palgrave Macmillan
- Scoones, I and Thompson, J (2009) Farmer First Revisited: Innovation for Agricultural Research and Development, Oxford: ITDG Publishing
- Humphrey, J. (2009) 'Private Standards, Small Farmers and Donor Policy: EUREPGAP in Kenya', IDS Research Summary 308, Brighton: IDS
- Mapitse, N (2008) 'Botswana’s foot-and-mouth disease and beef trade policy', Transboundary animal disease and market access Working Paper 3, Brighton: IDS
- Thomson, G (2008) 'A short overview of regional positions on foot-and-mouth disease control in southern Africa', Transboundary animal disease and market access Working Paper 2, Brighton: IDS
- Fahey, D. (2007) 'The Political Economy of Livestock and Pastoralism in Sudan', IGAD-LPI Working Paper , Addis Ababa: IGAD Livestock Policy Initiative
- Knowledge, Technology and Society Team (2006) 'Understanding Policy Processes: A Review of IDS Research on the Environment' , IDS
- Sandford, S., and Scoones, I. (2006) 'Opportunistic and conservative pastoral strategies: some economic arguments', Ecological Economics 58.1:1-16
- Scoones, I. and Wolmer,W. (2006) 'Livestock, Disease, Trade and Markets: Policy Choices for the Livestock Sector in Africa', IDS Research Summary 269, Brighton: IDS
Livestock and Pastoralism projects at IDS
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