Pathways of Livelihood Transformation Among Borana of Southern Ethiopia
Presenter's country
Ethiopia
Start Date
28-5-2016 10:55 AM
End Date
28-5-2016 12:00 PM
Location
Hall II
Submission type
Presentation
Abstract
The study looks at how the livelihood system of the Borana people shifts from pure pastoralism to agro pastoralism as well as to non-pastoral activities in response to a number of natural disasters and human interventions. Their livestock resource has declined and the impoverishment expanded over years. Milk yield per cow per day has fallen and the frequency at which cows give off springs has reduced. Contrary to arguments by many writers on pastoralism, it was found out that the pastoralists on their own decide to settle down and dwell into crop production and non-pastoral activities rather than being pushed hard by the government to sedentrize. Pre-urban settlements whereby some pastoralists have constructed their own housings and engage in non-farm or non-pastoral activities have been emerged. It was observed that some pastoral households directly moved from pastoralism to non-pastoral urban activities. Many inhabitants of Dikale and Eloye Golba kebeles have started petty trading businesses of different forms at per urban settlements of Dider and Eloye, respectively. All people interviewed individually and those who took part in group discussions stressed that living on livestock alone is practically impossible these days. There is much interest by many community members to diversify their sources of income by integrating livestock rearing, with crop production and non-farm activities. This requires sedentrization either in rural setting or to urbanize. The Borana people moved from the economy that purely relied on livestock to livestock dominant and crop less dominant system [pure pastoralists to agropastoralists]. Their main food stuff shifted from livestock products—milk and milk products—dominant to grain—Bedala/maize dominant. Badala Tuma has become their main food stuff. Although maize is one of the grains considered to be good at calorie and micro-nutrient composition, the fact that it has become the sole food stuff for most households adversely affected the balanced diet among the majority of households in Borana.
Pathways of Livelihood Transformation Among Borana of Southern Ethiopia
Hall II
The study looks at how the livelihood system of the Borana people shifts from pure pastoralism to agro pastoralism as well as to non-pastoral activities in response to a number of natural disasters and human interventions. Their livestock resource has declined and the impoverishment expanded over years. Milk yield per cow per day has fallen and the frequency at which cows give off springs has reduced. Contrary to arguments by many writers on pastoralism, it was found out that the pastoralists on their own decide to settle down and dwell into crop production and non-pastoral activities rather than being pushed hard by the government to sedentrize. Pre-urban settlements whereby some pastoralists have constructed their own housings and engage in non-farm or non-pastoral activities have been emerged. It was observed that some pastoral households directly moved from pastoralism to non-pastoral urban activities. Many inhabitants of Dikale and Eloye Golba kebeles have started petty trading businesses of different forms at per urban settlements of Dider and Eloye, respectively. All people interviewed individually and those who took part in group discussions stressed that living on livestock alone is practically impossible these days. There is much interest by many community members to diversify their sources of income by integrating livestock rearing, with crop production and non-farm activities. This requires sedentrization either in rural setting or to urbanize. The Borana people moved from the economy that purely relied on livestock to livestock dominant and crop less dominant system [pure pastoralists to agropastoralists]. Their main food stuff shifted from livestock products—milk and milk products—dominant to grain—Bedala/maize dominant. Badala Tuma has become their main food stuff. Although maize is one of the grains considered to be good at calorie and micro-nutrient composition, the fact that it has become the sole food stuff for most households adversely affected the balanced diet among the majority of households in Borana.