The South Turkana Expedition: Scientific Papers X. Sorghum Gardens in South Turkana: Cultivation among a Nomadic Pastoral People

Morgan, W. T. W.

doi:10.2307/1797009

Cited by 25 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…Rather, pastoralism as practiced by most Turkana strikes some balance between livestock dependence, cultivation, and foraging, and families and communities sometimes shift between these depending on environmental conditions (Campbell, Leslie, & Little, ; McCabe, ). Some Turkana clans are more settled than others, consistently practicing sorghum cultivation as their primary livelihood, and there is evidence that this activity predates British colonial rule (Campbell et al, ; Morgan, ; Wright, Forman, Kiura, Bloszies, & Beyin, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive effects of refugee presence on host community nutritional status in Turkana County, Kenya

Gengo

Oka²,

Vemuru

et al. 2017

American J Hum Biol

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Objectives: Refugee camps are often assumed to negatively impact local host communities through resource competition and conflict. We ask instead whether economic resources and trade networks associated with refugees have benefits for host community health and nutrition. To address this question we assess the impacts of Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya, comparing anthropometric indicators of nutritional status between Turkana communities in the region.Methods: Participants were recruited at four sites in Turkana County (N 5 586): Kakuma Town, adjacent to Kakuma Refugee Camp; Lorugum, an area with sustained economic development; Lokichoggio, formerly host to international NGOs, and now underdeveloped; and Lorengo, an undeveloped, rural community. We evaluated nutritional status using summed skinfold thickness and body mass index (BMI). Structured interviews provided contextual data.Results: Age-controlled multiple regression models reveal two distinct skinfold thickness profiles for both sexes: comparatively elevated values in Kakuma and Lorugum, and significantly lower values in Lorengo and Lokichoggio. BMI did not vary significantly by location. Despite better nutritional status, a large proportion of Kakuma residents still report worries about basic needs, including hunger, health, and economic security.Conclusions: Kakuma Refugee Camp is associated with better host community energetic status indicators, compared to other relevant, regional sites varying in development and resources. Based on global nutritional standards, observed differences likely represent meaningful disparities in overall health. We suggest that access to cereals via refugee trade networks and employment might mediate this relationship. However, perceptions of refugees as illegitimate interlopers maintain a high psychological burden.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive effects of refugee presence on host community nutritional status in Turkana County, Kenya

Gengo

Oka²,

Vemuru

et al. 2017

American J Hum Biol

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“…For cultivated sorghum, at least two regions still need sustained collection efforts. The specificity of sorghum cropping systems in the Turkana region (Morgan 1974) is associated with the largest diversity of sorghum landraces cultivated by farmers. The proximity of this region to the presumed primary center of domestication and the adaptation of local germplasm to very dry conditions (rainfall between 200 and 400 mm/ year) makes it a priority target for further collections and implementation of in situ conservation programs.…”

Section: Strategy For the Conservation Of Sorghum Genetic Resources Imentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecogeographical distribution of wild, weedy and cultivated Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench in Kenya: implications for conservation and crop-to-wild gene flow

Mutegi¹,

Sagnard²,

Muraya³

et al. 2009

Genet Resour Crop Evol

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The potential gene flow between a crop and its wild relatives is largely determined by the overlaps in their ecological and geographical distributions. Ecogeographical databases are therefore indispensable tools for the sustainable management of genetic resources. In order to expand our knowledge of Sorghum bicolor distribution in Kenya, we conducted in situ collections of wild, weedy and cultivated sorghum. Qualitative and quantitative morphological traits were measured for each sampled wild sorghum plant. Farmers' knowledge relating to the management of sorghum varieties and autecology of wild sorghum was also obtained. Cluster analysis supports the existence of several wild sorghum morphotypes that might correspond to at least three of the five ecotypes recognized in Africa. Intermediate forms between wild and cultivated sorghum belonging to the S. bicolor ssp. drummondii are frequently found in predominantly sorghum growing areas. Crop-wild gene flow in sorghum is likely to occur in many agroecosystems of Kenya.

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“…Grazing and wood extraction is controlled by an informal forest management system called ekwar, which prescribes semiprivate usufruct rights to riverine trees (Barrow, 1990;Stave et al, 2001). Traditional land-use also involves the cultivation of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) in recently abandoned riverbeds or on meander scars along the riverbank (Morgan, 1974). While these traditional gardens might promote forest regeneration (Oba et al, 2002), irrigation schemes and settlements have encroached into the floodplain forest during the last couple of decades.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental gradients in the Turkwel riverine forest, Kenya: Hypotheses on dam-induced vegetation change

Stave

Oba

Stenseth

et al. 2005

Forest Ecology and Management

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The South Turkana Expedition: Scientific Papers X. Sorghum Gardens in South Turkana: Cultivation among a Nomadic Pastoral People

Cited by 25 publications

References 0 publications

Positive effects of refugee presence on host community nutritional status in Turkana County, Kenya

Positive effects of refugee presence on host community nutritional status in Turkana County, Kenya

Ecogeographical distribution of wild, weedy and cultivated Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench in Kenya: implications for conservation and crop-to-wild gene flow

Environmental gradients in the Turkwel riverine forest, Kenya: Hypotheses on dam-induced vegetation change

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