Pastoralist Knowledge Hub

  • About 1 billion animals worldwide are herded by pastoralists. These include sheep, goats, cattle, camels, yaks, horses and reindeer.


  • 65% of meat, and 70% of milk sold on local markets in the Sahel region come from pastoral systems.

     

     


  • Pastoralists are key to the food security in such areas as drylands, highlands, wetlands, and shrublands where crop production is difficult.

     

     


  • Pastoralists promote rangeland health by improving soil fertility, conserving biodiversity, managing fires and accelerating nutrient cycling.

     

     


  • Pastoralists follow customary and community-based rangeland management practices over a range of land tenure types.

     

     

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    Pastoralists employ strategic mobility to adapt to variable climatic conditions.

     

     


  • Pastoralism is not just a livelihood, but also a cultural system closely linked to its natural environment. Pastoralists have a treasure of local and indigenous knowledge.


  • Pastoralist women have varied roles in the pastoral household, caring for livestock, land and sometimes finances.