Making the most of Prosopis in the Horn of Africa

In November 2014 a regional conference was held in Addis Ababa entitled “Exploring Prosopis Management and Policy Options in the Horn of Africa”. It was organised by CELEP member PENHA (Pastoral & Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa) in partnership with IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) and the Ethiopian Agropastoralist Development Association at University College London. About 45 participants came from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somaliland, Sudan and the UK.

The conference was part of a 2-year IFAD-funded project for intra-regional sharing and learning about pastoralist development. It aimed to identify gaps in current efforts to manage and use the woody species Prosopis juliflora, which has invaded huge areas of grazing land in the Horn. The conference also explored policy and practice options for the Horn of Africa to provide opportunities to utilise Prosopis in ways that improve livelihoods in pastoralist and agropastoralist communities.

The Prosopis Regional Conference Proceedings (30pp) include research- and project-based papers about experiences in dealing with Prosopis, some of which presented innovative ideas and practices in managing and exploiting this woody species. The conference tried to promote a positive attitude toward Prosopis, regarding it as an underutilised resource that could bring positive impact to rural and semi-urban communities in the Horn.

Posted on 17 March 2015 in News, Pastoral Research & Innovation, Pastoralism & Natural Resources, Pastoralism, Policy & Power, Pastoralist Livelihoods & Nutrition