Pastoralism and Traditional Cattle Raising
Between 100 and 200 million people in over 100 countries tend to large herds of animals to ensure their livelihoods. This is known as pastoralism and it is practiced in approximately 25 percent of the world’s total land area, mainly with animals such as camels, cattle, sheep, llamas, yaks, and goats. Furthermore, in many countries pastoralist communities contribute significantly to their national economies and live in harmony with the environment. Though spread throughout the world, pastoralist communities share common practices and characteristics, particularly the fact that they are mostly transhumant or nomad. This usually means that these communities do not have strong institutional or political representation with their respective countries. Simultaneously, the ancestral practice of pastoralism brings with it a complex set of traditional laws and customs. However, pastoralist communities are usually also unaware of their political and legal rights, which are particularly important as it relates to the use of grazing land and access to water resources.
Absent from most legislative and political processes, the land rights of pastoralist communities often overlap with those of sedentary farmers and inland fisheries, particularly in regions such as Africa. Similarly, because livestock corridors are seasonal and may go unused for years, the traditional rights of pastoralist communities are often overlooked when designating nature reserves or granting rights for private industrial projects, as has been the case in India and Burkina Faso. However, the need for pastoralist communities to access grazing land and water sources should not be disregarded, particularly in the current global context of accelerated climate change and increasing drought.
Another issue surrounding the customary system of pastoralist communities is gender parity. In most pastoralist contexts, economic decision-making and property ownership rights are reserved to men, which curbs the potential for female education, empowerment, and personal development. Notable exceptions to the rule of male centered rights in pastoralist communities can be found in Nepal and the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Overall, pastoralism is thought to have originated from mixed farming and it can be considered part of a sustainable way of practicing agroforestry.
Pastoralism and Traditional Cattle Raising
Lastly, pastoralism is mainly practiced in countries throughout the Sahel region in Africa, such as Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Kenya. This article will analyze the status of the economy in the landlocked country of Burkina Faso. In terms of natural resources, Burkina Faso has manganese, limestone, marble, gold, phosphates, pumice, and salt. Within manufacturing, the national industry is focused on cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, and textiles. Simultaneously, the country’s agricultural industry has as main products cotton, peanuts, nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice, and livestock. During 2015, Burkina Faso imported US$3.2 billion worth of goods and exported US$3.5 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of over US$300 million. Furthermore, that same year, Burkina Faso’s main export, representing 73% or US$2.6 billion of the country’s total, was gold. Similarly, the country’s main import, representing 19% or US$601 million of all international purchases, was refined petroleum.