This blog is based on the fifth chapter of the newly published book Pastoralism, Uncertainty and Development edited by Ian Scoones.
Pastoral producers in Sardinia, Italy face highly volatile markets for their sheep’s milk, resulting in huge uncertainties for production and marketing. Sardinia produces the world’s largest supply of Pecorino Romano cheese, which is exported across the world. As a result, pastoralists are tied into a global supply chain and suffer the downsides of an uncertain, globalised marketing arrangement, as well as its benefits in terms of a guaranteed market.
This article is from PASTRES, a research programme that aims to learn from pastoralists about responding to uncertainty and resilience, with lessons for global challenges. PASTRES is co-hosted by IDS.
