Pastoral livestock farming in Sahel and West Africa 5 preconceptions put to the test Lexicon1 Agropastoralist Farmer who raises livestock by traditional methods and whose practices with regards to animals are similar to those of herders, as in transhumance. Agro-breeder Farmer who also is a livestock breeder. Extensive / Intensive Extensive livestock breeding is essentially based on the use of natural resources livestock breeding (water, pasture, etc.) generally with no notable biotope improvement. Intensive livestock breeding on the other hand uses an overall enhanced environment. There is therefore a high concentration per hectare (more animals on the same surface). Intensive livestock breeding requires more inputs per produced unit than extensive livestock breeding. Mobility Refers to something likely to move. Regarding livestock breeding, it refers to herds moving seasonally or occasionally over small or long distances. Nomadism Continuous movement of men and their herds. It is a very mobile and non- predictable production system often without crop or a systematic return to a fixed location each year. Pastoralism Agricultural practice founded on extensive livestock breeding including systems where animal and/or human movement is significant: nomadism, transhumance, semi-transhumance. Ranching Ambiguous and incorrectly used term mostly referring to a modern extensive livestock breeding activity generally including livestock farming (strict meaning of the term) and longer fattening. This breeding method relies on extensive natural pasture exploitation while using minimum work force. Pastoral resources Natural resources allowing pastoral feeding of animals: water, pasture and salt marshes. Semi-transhumance Production system in which part of the family and/or livestock is seasonally mobile and the other part is sedentary and cultivates in one of the seasonal bases. Transhumance Breeding method including seasonal livestock migration. This system is very mobile and there is a return to seasonal bases each year. Farmers have a permanent residence. The calendar and itineraries are regular and the movements are mostly predictable. They are based on seasons and towards known pastures. 1 Pastoralism is only << <<associated with Sahel FALSEFALSE pastoralism can be seen throughout West Africa Animal mobility, which covers long distances as mobility. Moreover enclosing animals in peri-ur- well as small ones, exists in practically all farming ban farms or in ranches remains marginal. In the systems in West Africa, even in sedentary systems. southern zones of Sahelian countries and coastal The existence of large semi-arid zones makes it states where livestock is increasing, transhumance very difficult to consider livestock farming without is also a feature of livestock farming. Cattle Cattle| buffaloesCattle | buffaloes | buffaloes Sheep Sheep| goatsSheep | goatsin millions| goats Côte Côted’IvoireCôte d’Ivoire d’Ivoire BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et bues 2 2 2 2 218 2 18 18 OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 3 3 3 MAURITANIAMAURITANIAMAURITANIA 10 10 3310 33 33 MauritanieMauritanieMauritanie : : : MALI MALI 26 26 MALI 11 11 11 26 BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et bues 2 2 2 NIGER NIGER Ovins et caprinsOvins et caprins2 2 3 3 3 NIGER 8 8 10 8 10 10 Ovins et caprins 2 11 11 11 SENEGALSENEGALSENEGAL 9 9 9 CHAD CHAD CHAD 23 23 23 Mali Mali BURKINABURKINABURKINA 2 2 Mali FASO FASO FASO 2 - Pour la Mauritanie,- Pour la Mauritanie, il y a en fait il y 18 a en millions fait 18 millions 6 6 5 6 5 Bovins etBovins bues et bues10 - Pour10 la Mauritanie, il y a en fait 18 millions 5 2 2 2 3 3 3 Bovins et bues 10 TOGO TOGO d'ovins etd'ovins caprins et et caprins non 2 et non 2 TOGO d'ovins et caprins et non 2 GUINEA GUINEA GUINEA OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 33 33 33 - Pour- Pourle Tchad,- Pour le Tchad, leil y Tchad, a il25 y millionsa il 25 y amillions 25 de millions bovins de bovins de bovins 2 3 2 3 3 5 5 2 10 10 5 20 20 20114 114 CÔTE CÔTE 10 BENIN BENIN 114 CÔTE BENIN Niger Niger et bueset bueset (au bues lieu (au de lieu (au 8) delieu et 8)57 de et millions 8) 57 et millions 57 millions D'IVOIRED'IVOIRED'IVOIRE Niger GHANA GHANA GHANA NIGERIA NIGERIANIGERIA BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et bues 11d'ovins 11d'ovins 11etd'ovins caprins et caprins et caprins OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 26 26 26 NigeriaNigeria Nigeria BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et bues 20 20 20 OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 114 114 114 SOURCE FAO2 1961 1961 1961 SénégalSénégalSénégal MALI MALI MALI Pastoral livestock farming in Sahel and West Africa: 5 preconceptions put to the test | 3 BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et bues 3 3 3 OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 11 11 11 TogoTogoTogo BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et bues 0 0 0 OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 5 5 5 BurkinaBurkina FasoBurkina Faso Faso BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et bues 9 9 9 OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 23 23 23 TchadTchad Tchad BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et bues 8 8 8 OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 10 10 10 BéninBénin Bénin BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et bues 2 2 2 OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 3 3 3 GhanaGhana Ghana BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et 2 bues 2 2 OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 10 10 10 BovinsOvinsBovinsOvinsBovinsBovinsOvinsMauritanieOvinsBovins etetMauritanieOvinsBovins et Mauritanieet OvinsbuesBovinscaprins et Ovinset buesetBovinscaprinset Ovins bues Bovinset caprinset Bovinsbuescaprins OvinsMali etOvins et Bovinsbues caprins Mali et: etOvins Bovinsbuescaprins BovinsNiger Mali et :Ovins et Ovinsbuescaprins BovinsNiger et : et et OvinsbuesetcaprinsNigeriaBovinsNiger Ovinsbueset Bovinscaprinset buesNigeriacaprins Ovins et etBovinset NigeriaetbuescaprinsOvinsSénégal Bovins bueset et BovinscaprinsbuescaprinsOvins SénégalOvinsetet Bovinsbues caprins SénégaletetOvins BovinsbuescaprinsBovins et TogoOvinset BurkinabuesOvinscaprins Bovins et Togoet et BurkinabuesetOvins caprinsBovinsBovins Togo Burkinabueset Ovinscaprinset buesOvinscaprins Bovins et et et buesetOvinscaprins BovinsBovins Tchad bueset FasoOvinscaprinset buesOvins caprins BovinsTchad et Fasoet et bues etOvinscaprins BovinsTchad Faso Bénin bueset Ovinscaprinset buesOvins Bovinscaprins Béninet et et bues BovinsetOvinscaprins BéninGhanaBovins bueset Ovinscaprinset buesOvins caprins GhanaBovins et et bues etOvins caprinsGhana BovinsGuinée et buesOvinscaprinset caprinsGuinéeet bueset et etGuinéecaprins bues et caprinset bues caprins et et buescaprins2 bues caprins2 2 GuinéeGuinée Guinée BovinsBovins etBovins bues et bues et bues 6 6 6 OvinsOvins et caprinsOvins et caprins et caprins 5 5 5 Farming systems are increasingly turning to agropastoralism In cotton-growing areas farmers are increasingly families to have access to healthcare, education, integrating animals into their production system. supplies and to the country’s political life. By set- These animals are on the move for months and tling most families develop agricultural activities. cover long distances. At the same time pastoralists’ Agropastoralism and agro-breeding highly prevail families tend to settle down without altering their in this region. livestock. This partial sedentarization enables these than sedentary livestock In Niger of livestock is owned by agro-breeders and agropastoralists living in the south 60% of the country. SOURCE Republic of Niger3 pastoralists are more than just livestock producers So called “pastoral” livestock farming is now a exchange for labour), craftsmanship, transportation complex system which involves different activities of goods or people… Pastoralism often represents and additional income sources: agriculture, livestock only one part of the families’ resources. “Pure” trading, fattening, para-veterinary professions, pastoralism doesn’t exist anymore. agricultural services (work days, animal loan in of family farms analysed in the research by APESS (Association for the promotion of livestock farming in Sahel and Savannah) resort to 80% extra-pastoral activities. SOURCE Apess4 The agropastoral farming system prevails across all West Africa TRUETRUE 4 2 << Mobile livestock are less productive FALSEFALSE<< than sedentary livestock Transhumant livestock herding is productive Contrary to a widespread belief transhumant live- it is, the more productive! In mobile systems the stock farming is more productive than sedentary productivity per hectare is even higher than ranch- pastoral farming in West Africa. The more mobile ing productivity in the USA or Australia Annual rate of reproduction in sedentary, transhumant and nomadic herds in Niger Annual rate of reproduction in sedentary, transhumant and nomadic herds in Niger 5 69% 61% 65% 69% 61% 6 % Sedentary Transhumant Nomadic Sedentary Transhumant Nomadic SOURCE De Verdière, C.P5 Productivity comparison between 2 zones with low rainfall ProductivityPrecipitations < comparison 500 mm/year between 2 zones with low rainfall Between and kg Precipitations < 500 mm/year 0,6 3,2 of animal protein per hectare per year Between 0,6 and 3,2 kg of animal protein per hectare per year Between 0,3 and 0,5 kg of animal protein per hectare per year Between 0,3 and 0,5 kg of animal protein per hectare per year Animals raised Fulah’s transhumant herds on AustralianAnimals and American raised ranches Fulah’s transhumantin Mali herds on Australian and American ranches in Mali SOURCE