Earlier on this is worded as ‘Expand the agricultural activities of pastoralists in tandem with modern soil and water conservation practices’ (p.31). That is, the focus shifts from existing agricultural activities by pastoralists to possible agricultural activity on their land.

This sectoral strategy is justified on the basis of the following premises:

1. fertile land and surface water for agriculture in pastoral land is believed to be abundant;
2. agricultural activities attempted in pastoral areas have not been successful in the past because efforts have ‘not been conducted in a manner that takes the ecology, climate and the pastoral production system into account’ (p.42);
3. the modernization of agriculture has not yet been undertaken in pastoral areas;
4. the key problems of ‘the sector’ are identified as: (i) a lack of extension programs based on the livelihood of pastoral people; and (ii) a lack of irrigation-fed agriculture ensuring food security.

The strategy is described as aiming to act on these premises with the following measures:

1. assisting people in pastoral areas to engage in farming activities side by side with livestock rearing in order to contribute to their own food security (p.43);
2. identifying and preparing ‘investment lands for commercial agriculture [where] government or private investors may be engaged in partnership; or share company or outgrowing schemes; invest with pastoralists in animal production; tourism; crop, fruit and vegetable production’ (p.43);
3. modernizing the agricultural sector in pastoral areas.

COMMENTARY

1. Not on the basis of pastoral systems. This strategy is about converting the best land and water resources in pastoral areas to crop farming. The best land for crop farming in pastoral areas is also crucially important land for pastoralism: dry season grazing reserves that enable pastoral systems to bridge one productive rainy season to the next, and to be resilient to droughts. ‘Land use conversion’ is listed in the text of the policy amongst the ‘bottlenecks that have been observed during implementation of development policies and strategies in the last years in pastoral areas’ (pp.21–22).
2. Land abundance or land shortage? Under Policy Issue 4, the policy intends to establish ‘Land administration and land use systems … to solve conflicts sustainably in pastoral areas which most of the times [are] caused by shortage of grazing lands and water’ (p.76). Thus, it would seem that land in pastoral areas is abundant for Policy Issue 1, Strategy 3, but shortage of land is the major cause of conflict for Policy Issue 3, Strategy 2. Persisting in the practice of converting pastoral land to other uses, especially the most crucial dry-season grazing reserves, is acknowledged in the policy itself as a likely path toward increased conflict.
3. Pastoralists’ food security or commercial agriculture? This strategy intends to identify land in pastoral areas suitable for attracting investors from commercial agriculture, thus certainly the best land in dry-season grazing reserves. Converting crucial pastoral resources to non-pastoral uses seems an unusual solution to helping with food security in pastoral systems.

a. Establish land use and land administration system (p.44) »