Scale Dependency and the “Marginal” Value of Labor

Abstract

While there is a general assumption that labor has a positive effect on pastoral production, studies that have tried to quantify this relationship have found no effects. This is most likely because these studies have been looking for effects only at the household level of social organization, although it is well documented that nomadic pastoralist households share and exchange labor in socalled cooperative herding groups. This study investigates possible labor related effects on production among Saami reindeer herders in northern Norway and whether these effects are scale dependent. Contrary to previous studies, we found both a general effect of labor on Saami reindeer husbandry production and the presence of a scale dependent effect, i.e., the more robust results were found on the level of social organization where cooperative herding is undertaken.

Why Herd Size Matters – Mitigating the Effects of Livestock Crashes

“…The positive relationship between pre- and post-collapse herd size indicates that herd accumulation is a rational response to environment-induced catastrophes, and provides the rationale for why both reindeer herders [29], [31] and pastoralists in general [39] invest labour to increase herd size. Nevertheless, herd accumulation may also stem from cultural values: e.g.…”

“…For the reindeer husbandry it has been demonstrated that reindeer density and climatic conditions have negative effects on individual body mass [12], [31], [48], [49], [50] and, consequently, also survival [49], [51]. Increased reindeer abundance also increases herders’ vulnerability to unfavourable climate as the negative impacts of adverse climatic events increases with increasing reindeer density [12], [49], [52].…”

“…The siida is a cooperative unit composed of one or more reindeer management families organized on the basis of kinship joined together in social and labour communities for keeping control of herds of reindeer through herding. A district is a formal management unit with responsibility to provide the Norwegian Reindeer Husbandry Administration with information as well as ensuring that the reindeer husbandry is managed in accordance with governmental regulations [18], [29], [30], [31].…”

Smaller Saami Herding Groups Cooperate More in a Public Goods Experiment

“…The size of the siida affects the nature of collective action within the group as well as the group’s productivity/long-term viability. Siidas with more members are likely to have larger herds (Næss et al 2009), which helps to prevent land-grabs from competing groups. Although this is less of a worry given the current trend towards privatised and fenced land, pastoralists still face the task of preventing unwanted encroachment.…”

Pastoral Herding Strategies and Governmental Management Objectives: Predation Compensation as a Risk Buffering Strategy in the Saami Reindeer Husbandry

“…Consequently, while predation may reduce the profitability of raising livestock, or at least the profitability of increasing herd size (Bulte and Rondeau 2005) as livestock owners have to invest resources in order to be able to increase their herd size (Næss et al 2010; Næss et al 2009), “[w]ith the risk of predation covered by compensation, it is optimal to increase the stocking rate” (Bulte and Rondeau 2005:17).…”