The Challenges Facing Traditional Nomadic Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa

In a pastoralTED-Edlesson written byDan Kwartlerand animated by Anton Bogaty, narrator Addison Anderson talks about the challenges facing traditional nomadic farmers (pastoralists) in sub-Saharan Africa and around the world. These challenges include climate change, government policies, and a desire to have these farmers settle down.

Various programs tried to incentivize these mobile communities to put down roots. Governments limited their access to public services like healthcare and education. They created designated watering holes to keep pastoralists in specific regions year-round. And huge areas of rangeland historically shared by pastoralists were privatized or converted to wildlife reserves.

The motivations for doing this varied, albeit politics had the final say, despite the good that these pastoralists have done for the ecosystem.

By restricting how sub-Saharan pastoralists could use the land, these communities became poorer, less sustainable, and less economically resilient. ...Historically, sub-Saharan pastoralists helped keep African grasslands healthy by guiding their livestock to graze specific amounts in specific areas. Their seasonal migration prevented land from being overgrazed and their livestock's fertilizing manure regenerated the soil. But policies restricting their movement have made this kind of land management incredibly difficult.