Understanding relations between pastoralism and its changing natural environment

Tamou, Charles

doi:10.18174/411051

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 138 publications

(231 reference statements)

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“…UNESCO has recognized the crucial role of such traditional ecological practices and associated knowledge in shaping relationships among people, animals and the surrounding ecosystem. Indeed, pastoral societies often possess a rich variety of traditional ecological knowledge, practices and beliefs (TEK) [1][2][3][4]. In many contexts all over the world, pastoralism is often regarded not only as a primary source of livelihood, but also of identity [5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild Food Thistle Gathering and Pastoralism: An Inextricable Link in the Biocultural Landscape of Barbagia, Central Sardinia (Italy)

et al. 2020

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In Sardinia, pastoralism has been at the heart of cultural identity for millennia. Such activity has shaped the landscape by sustainably managing its elements over the centuries. We conducted 30 semi-structured interviews regarding the uses of wild plants as well as their contribution to sheep breeding over the last few decades in two villages of Barbagia di Ollolai. We recorded the use of 73 taxa belonging to 35 families. Over one-third of the vernacular food taxa were mentioned as raw snacks. Specifically, 22% were used only as raw snacks, while another 22% were used as raw snacks in addition to other uses. Indeed, there is a subcategory of raw snacks represented by thistle plants, named cardu, referring to thorny herbaceous taxa. Cardu are often related to the pastoral realm in the Mediterranean Basin as they are gathered, often with the help of a knife, peeled with the blade, and consumed on the spot while grazing sheep, but ultimately, their crunchiness provides a pleasant chewing experience. In addition, cardu may have been used as thirst quenchers. We conclude that pastoral activity has significantly contributed to the development of a distinctive food heritage and cultural landscape.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild Food Thistle Gathering and Pastoralism: An Inextricable Link in the Biocultural Landscape of Barbagia, Central Sardinia (Italy)

et al. 2020

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“…To adapt to environmental and institutional changes, farmers and herders have at many locations resorted to the same activities [36]. Farmers in northern Benin have increasingly integrated livestock farming into their activities to diversify and increase agricultural production and to supplement their income, while pastoralists have integrated cropping into their pastoral activities to become more independent from crop farmers [52,53].…”

Section: Theoretical Background Underpinning Social Economic and Ecological Practice Of Transhumance And Resource Use And Management In Wmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin

Diogo

Dossa

Vanvanhossou

et al. 2021

Land

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The sustainable use of rangelands in pastoral areas requires the inclusion of all stakeholders to develop sound management strategies. However, the role of these actors in the sustainable management of natural resources is still poorly understood. The present study aims to (i) assess the perception of farmers and herders of the risks and opportunities of transhumance on rangeland resource use and management, and to (ii) generate useful knowledge for the design and implementation of policies that favor the coexistence of these actors and reduce competition over rangeland resources use in Benin. To this end, interviews were conducted with 240 crop farmers and herders using a semi-structured questionnaire in two contrasting agroecological zones in the northern (Kandi) and the southern (Kétou) part of the country. Among the respondents, 64% of farmers in the North were agro-pastoralists (owning 10.6 ha of land and 10.7 cattle) and 36% were herders (keeping 45.8 cattle and cultivating about 3.7 ha of land). They perceived that communal rangelands were entirely degraded. In the South, 36% of respondents were agro-pastoralists (with 0.3 cattle and farming 4 ha of land) and 64% cattle herders (raising 45.3 cattle and farming 0.9 ha of land only). Of the herders, 50% kept cattle for more than 20 years, while agro-pastoralists had no previous experience in cattle herding. Cultivation practices among crop farmers, such as high use of mineral fertilization (23.8%) and bush fires for land clearing (22.5%), were reported in Kandi (North) and Kétou (South) as factors that might contribute to land degradation. However, these farmers perceived transhumance as a threat to the sustainable use of natural resources. In contrast, herders perceived transhumance as an opportunity to valorize unused land and increase the availability of manure to cropland. The prevalent negative attitude of crop farmers regarding transhumant herders increases the vulnerability of cattle herding in both regions. There is an urgent need of raising awareness concerning the mutual benefits provided by the coexistence of crop farmers with herders to promote participative rangeland management strategies. This may contribute towards coping with the current challenges of food insecurity and increasing climate variability as well as to reducing recurrent conflicts in the region.

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“…According to the application standards for -2017(Nitraatrichtlijn, 2014, the maximum annual amount for mineral nitrogen on sandy soil is 250 kg ha -1 for grassland and 140 kg ha -1 for maize land, and the maximum annual amount for nitrogen from animal manure is 230 kg ha -1 with derogation and 170 kg ha -1 without derogation. For phosphate, the maximum annual amount is 90 kg ha -1 for grasslands and 60 kg ha -1 for maize land.…”

Section: Dairy Farm Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Depending on these characteristics, grazing systems vary in the amount of feed supplementation. In drylands and mountains, for example, natural grasslands form the primary source of feed for ruminants in extensive systems in which cows are moved in search for feed and water (Tamou, 2017). In countries like Ireland and New Zealand, we also find primarily lowinput dairy farming systems that are fully pasture-based.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

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Keys to sustainable grazing : economic and environmental consequences of grazing strategies for dairy farms

Klootwijk¹

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In order to maintain grazing at highly productive dairy farms (i.e. farms with a high stocking density on the available grazing area), farmers start to change from traditional continuous and rotational grazing systems to compartmented continuous grazing (CCG) and strip grazing (SG). Unlike the traditional grazing systems, CCG and SG are grazing systems in which cows receive a new grazing area each day. A complete overview of the interlinked effects of grazing strategies, grassland utilization and cow productivity on the economic and environmental performance of highly productive farms was missing. The aim of this thesis, therefore, was to quantify the technical performance of improved grazing strategies, such as CCG and SG, in order to determine the economic and environmental consequences for dairy farms. In a grazing experiment we showed that, overall, CCG and SG can support fresh grass intake of high yielding dairy cows at high stocking densities, without compromising on milk production. Results showed furthermore that increasing fresh grass intake of dairy cows can improve the economic performance of dairy farms, at various levels of milk production, and that reducing grazing losses can improve both the economic and the environmental performance of dairy farms. To improve fresh grass intake, the right amount of fresh grass has to be allocated to the herd, which requires a reliable estimate of the fresh grass allowance. To improve such estimates, we first showed that one region-specific calibration equation to estimate fresh grass allowance can be used across grazing systems. Second, we showed the importance of correcting the fresh grass allowance for the formation of rejected patches surrounding dung. Third, we found a more labour-friendly method to quantify fresh grass allowance, which can take into account rejected patches, using drone technology. Table of contents Chapter 1 General introduction Chapter 2Dutch dairy farms after milk quota abolition: economic and environmental consequences of a new manure policy Chapter 3The effect of grazing system on the rising plate meter calibration for herbage mass Chapter 4Correcting fresh grass allowance for selective grazing of dairy cows in intensive grazing systems Chapter 5The potential of multispectral images to correct fresh grass allowance for selective grazing Chapter 6Economic and environmental consequences of grazing strategies with different levels of fresh grass intake and milk production Chapter 7

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Understanding relations between pastoralism and its changing natural environment

Cited by 5 publications

References 138 publications

Wild Food Thistle Gathering and Pastoralism: An Inextricable Link in the Biocultural Landscape of Barbagia, Central Sardinia (Italy)

Wild Food Thistle Gathering and Pastoralism: An Inextricable Link in the Biocultural Landscape of Barbagia, Central Sardinia (Italy)

Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin

Keys to sustainable grazing : economic and environmental consequences of grazing strategies for dairy farms

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