Assessing policy frame in pastoral areas of sub-Saharan Africa

The policy paper “Assessing the policy frame in pastoral areas of sub-Saharan Africa” (2022, 39pp) by Michele Nori, is one in a series of the Robert Schuman Centre’s Global Governance Programme at the European University Institute looking at the framing of policy around pastoralism in different regions of the world. This one was funded through a European Research Council Grant to PASTRES (Pastoralism, Uncertainty, Resilience: Global Lessons from the Margins) and is focused on sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Drylands cover about 40% of Africa’s land mass, mostly in the Sahel and the Horn, and are home to pastoralists for whom small ruminants, cattle and camels provide a main source of livelihood. The region is characterised by marked rainfall variability and environmental change; the increasing economic and institutional uncertainties associated with penetration of the market economy and incorporation of grazing lands into the wider political and commercial arena also impinge on the livelihoods of the pastoralists.

Extensive livestock production contributes significantly to local food security, national economies and regional integration, but the history of policy development in SSA is one of misplaced modernisation efforts and dispossession of pastoralists. Most policies, laws, investments and programmes have failed to harness the potential of pastoral systems, instead dismantling the mobility practices and social networks that make them viable. Marginalisation of pastoralists in national politics and mainstream society is evident in most SSA countries; levels of investment and service provision are often much lower than the national average.

Despite growing calls for change, inclusion and investment, the situation in most of the SSA drylands has worsened. There is growing political will, scientific literature and civil society efforts to overcome misconceptions and mistakes. However, translating good intentions and innovative thinking into effective institutional arrangements and governance seems challenging, as the policy framework dealing with pastoral areas in most SSA countries remains entangled in poor understanding, biased perspectives, bureaucratic approaches and distorted interests.

Posted on 22 November 2022 in Pastoralism & Climate Change, Pastoralism & Marketing, Pastoralism & Services, Pastoralism, Mobility & Land Tenure, Pastoralism, Policy & Power, Value of Pastoralism