Pastoral grazing in Tanzania’s Village Forest Reserves

The relations between pastoralism and forestry have long been antagonistic in the eyes of foresters and environmental planners. The paper “Pastoral grazing in Tanzania’s Village Forest Reserves: unearthing extra-ecological motives for (in-)compatibility” by Benezet Rwelengera and Jumanne Abdallah (published 2024 in the Journal of the Geographical Association of Tanzania 44(2): 53–75) examines what shapes the views on these relations in Tanzania, and with what broader implications. The qualitative study conducted at village, district and national levels revealed that debates about the supposed incompatibility of grazing and forests are not exclusively hinged on ecological aspects, but rather are a cocktail of extra-ecological concerns closely connected to dominant ideological and institutional positions. These include the socio-politics of identity and belonging, costs of conservation, peace and security, and economic and scientific interpretation mobilised by different actors in support of or against the integration of these two forms of land use. The findings reveal that it is not just about grazing but about pastoralists, highlighting the implications of the dominance of technocratic values in reinforcing the notion of incompatibility and silencing diverse on-ground realities. Overall, broader pastoralism–forestry relations in Tanzania remain in limbo, rendering pastoralist livelihoods prone to displacement in the name of conservation and modernisation.

Posted on 17 February 2025 in Pastoralism & Natural Resources, Pastoralism & Peacebuilding, Pastoralism, Mobility & Land Tenure, Pastoralism, Policy & Power