Pastoralism

Pastoralism is a livelihood system in which households rely primarily on the herding of domesticated animals for food, income, and material goods. Livestock provide milk, meat, wool or hides, and serve as movable capital. The organization of daily life emphasizes mobility to access grazing lands and water; rights to rangeland and herding routes are often defined by customary norms.

Patterns include nomadic pastoralism—continuous movement with herds across large areas; transhumant pastoralism—seasonal movement between defined highland and lowland pastures; sedentary or semi-sedentary pastoralism—herding near settlements with some crop production. These strategies reflect adaptation to climate, forage availability, and resource pressures.

Pastoralism is found in arid and semi-arid regions and highlands across Africa (for example Maasai, Fulani), the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia, and parts of the Arctic (reindeer herding by Sámi, Nenets). Common herded species include cattle, sheep, goats, camels, yaks, and reindeer; different systems specialize in different species.

Mobility enables resource-sharing and resilience in variable environments but can clash with sedentary land uses or political borders. Pastoral systems face risks from drought, climate change, land degradation, disease, and market volatility. Policy and development efforts focus on secure access to rangelands, veterinary services, and support for sustainable range management, with attention to human security and livelihoods.