Below-average rains forecast for Somalia could lead to devastating cattle losses and intensify malnutrition in the Horn of Africa nation, the United Nations food security agency has warned.
The grim scenario follows massive livestock deaths due to drought – up to 60 per cent of herds in some areas – that have severely damaged pastoralists’ livelihoods. “Somalia is traditionally an agro-pastoral economy [and] livestock losses have severely affected its economy...

Urgent support is needed to assist pastoralists as forecasts point to below-average rains in April-June
21 March 2018, Rome - In Somalia massive livestock deaths due to drought -  60 per cent of herds in some areas - have severely damaged pastoralists' livelihoods. The livestock losses threaten to exacerbate the country's food security situation, which remains...

Mongolian pastoralists gather to initiate community-driven data collection
Pastoralists constitute a third of Mongolia’s population, and their distinct way of life is considered an important national heritage. The “Pastoralist-Driven Data Management System” project, implemented by the Pastoralist Knowledge Hub, seeks to safeguard this livelihood and lifestyle in the...

Highlights from a FAO facilitated parallel session at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference 2018
According to the World Organization for Animal Health, nearly 75% of all infectious diseases are zoonotic, that is, spread between animals and humans. Pastoralists fully depend on their animals for their livelihood and income and are at the forefront of the...

FAO facilitated knowledge-sharing workshop on pastoral land tenure reveals similar challenges across eastern and southern Africa
Pastoralism is the dominant livelihood in the arid and semi-arid lands of eastern and southern Africa, contributing significantly not only to national GDPs, but also to food security and environmental restoration in the region. Yet, pastoralists face several challenges, especially...