Goats

Accounting for pastoralism in Mozambique

Agropastoralism is the main form of livestock production in Mozambique. It is concentrated in the drier, central and southern provinces, away from tsetse-infested areas. While chickens and goats are more numerous, cattle are the most important type of livestock. They are a source of income and draught power, a store of wealth and important culturally. Livestock are a vital source of income for large numbers of farmers, especially in the south of the country.

Agropastoralism and food security could be improved through better veterinary services, improved feeding and watering in the dry season, and breeding based on local breeds. Agropastoralism is not officially recognized as a form of management, and it does not figure prominently in government policies. Better, more frequent and more detailed data will be needed if Mozambique is to take advantage of the opportunities presented by livestock for its agricultural development.

Also available in Portuguese.

  • Title: Accounting for pastoralism in Mozambique
  • Author: Jacob Wanyama, LIFE Network Africa; and Romuald Rutazihana, Rutazihana Consulting, Lda / League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development / 2022
  • Description: Information brief
  • Format: Zip
  • Pages: 6

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    Accounting for pastoralists in Iran

    Rangelands cover 84.8 million hectares (52.3%) of Iran. Mobile pastoralists manage 35 million hectares and raise some 23 million head of livestock of 28 different breeds. Iran has 4–5 million pastoralists, 1.2 million of them mobile or semi-mobile. They play a vital role in Iran’s food security and national economy. They produce 53% of the country’s meat), and contribute to cultural diversity and environmental conservation within their territories.
    Mobile and transhumant pastoralists move their herds along migratory routes between summer and winter pastures. Their ability to do this has been eroded since the past century. Their “territories of life” (customary territories) and migration routes have been fragmented through land-use change and inappropriate development.
    Pastoralists need more supportive policies, including the recognition of their customary territories, their rights to use land, and their customary governance systems. They must be involved in making decisions that affect them.

  • Title: Accounting for pastoralists in Iran
  • Author: Abolfazl Sharifian, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Nahid Naghizadeh, Cenesta / League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development / 2022
  • Description: Information brief
  • Format: Pdf
  • Pages: 6

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    Accounting for pastoralists: Why it is important and how to do it?

    Ilse Köhler-Rollefson / League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development / 2020

    Pastoralism is a way of raising animals in association with nature. It entails the movement of people and herds across landscapes, making use of natural vegetation and crop by-products. Pastoralism corresponds to public demands for high animal welfare and environmentally friendly methods of livestock production.

    If we want to make the livestock sector more sustainable, this production system requires strong policy support. But we currently do not know how many pastoralists there are either globally or within each country. This is due to the absence of data collection and because pastoralism is not a distinct category in livestock censuses. Outdated colonial concepts and one-sided focus on the “efficiency” of livestock systems have prevented the recognition of the benefits of pastoralism as a solar-powered, biodiversity-conserving food-production strategy. In order to monitor the situation and provide a basis for policymaking, FAO should lead a global initiative to define pastoralism and record data by production system.

  • Title: Accounting for pastoralists: Why it is important and how to do it?
  • Author: Ilse Köhler-Rollefson
  • Description: Information brief
  • Format: Pdf
  • Pages: 6

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