Publications

Accounting for pastoralists in Uganda

Jacob Barasa Wanyama / League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development / 2020

Pastoralists in Uganda range from largely sedentary agropastoralists to transhumant herders who maintain a home base and satellite herds. Five million pastoralists in the “cattle corridor” manage 44% of Uganda’s cattle, 34% of the goats, 60% of the sheep, 92% of the donkeys, and 98% of the camels. They produce milk, meat, honey, beeswax and skins. Annual direct benefits from livestock are worth US$ 299 million. About half comes from milk, 25% from sales of animals and meat, and 25% from use of livestock as insurance and credit. Pastoralist areas in the south and north have great potential for tourism. Ankole cattle are a national symbol and tourist attraction.

No official definition for pastoralists exists, and official surveys do not use “pastoralism” as a category. This makes it difficult to estimate the significance of pastoralism. National data collection should categorize production systems as pastoralism, agropastoralism and farming based on clear definitions.

  • Title: Accounting for pastoralists in Uganda
  • Author: Jacob Barasa Wanyama
  • Description: Information brief
  • Format: Pdf
  • Pages: 6

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    Accounting for pastoralists in Kenya

    Jacob Barasa Wanyama / League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development / 2020

    Kenya has some 8.8 million people (1.73 million households) who identify as pastoralists. Of these, 4.0 million individuals (0.8 million households) depend directly on livestock. They manage about 70% of the country’s cattle, 87% of its sheep and 81% of its goats, 100% of its camels, 88% of its donkeys and 74% of the beehives. Their products include milk, meat, honey, beeswax, and skins. The pastoral sector was worth $1.13 billion in 2019: 92% from livestock and 8% from other products and services.

    Kenya’s tourism industry is highly dependent on pastoralism as it helps to conserve wildlife and unique cultures. Pastoralism’s support to tourism was worth $29 million out of a total industry value of $2.5 billion.

    Official surveys do not use a “pastoralism” category, but by comparing county-level data for production systems and populations it is possible to estimate numbers of pastoralists. Bodies mandated with data collection should segregate data between pastoralists, agropastoralists and farmers.

  • Title: Accounting for pastoralists in Kenya
  • Author: Jacob Barasa Wanyama
  • Description: Information brief
  • Format: Pdf
  • Pages: 6

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    Accounting for pastoralists in India

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

    Estimates of the number of pastoralists in India vary widely, but they probably total around 13 million people. Official data on livestock do not reflect the management system used. Both farmers and pastoralists rely on common-pool resources to maintain their animals. Around 77% of the country’s livestock are kept in extensive systems. Such systems produce an estimated 53% of India’s milk and 74% of its meat. The animals’ manure is a vital source of fertilizer for crop farmers; for many pastoralists manure is their main source of income.

    A wide range of pastoralist systems exist, from fully mobile to transhumant and sedentary. Species maintained in mobile systems include camels, cattle, ducks, donkeys, goats, pigs, sheep and yaks. Many pastoralists are members of traditional castes, but other groups, known as “non-traditional pastoralists”, are also taking up mobile herding.

  • Title: Accounting for pastoralists in India
  • Author: Kamal Kishore and Ilse Köhler-Rollefson
  • Description: Information brief
  • Format: Pdf
  • Pages: 6

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