Livestock sustaining livelihoods
Up to now, discussions of sustainable agriculture have focused mainly on soil-plant-water relations. If animal are mentioned, then often with reference to negative impact on vegetation.
It is gradually dawning on (some) development workers that the livestock-keeping techniques which hold greatest promise of sustainability can be found in traditional practices. In this issue we therefore emphasize the indigenous knowledge and skills of livestock-keeping peoples.
Table of contents:
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3 - 3written by Alireza KoochekiIn Iran as in many other countries, the settling of nomads has greatly contributed to deterioration of pastures around villages and towns. Application of the nomads' traditional skills and knowledge has been inhibited by a range of external factors, particularly the unclear status of land tenure. A. Koocheki points to some practices of pastoralists, which have contributed to resource conservation and sustainable landuse and, if encouraged, could continue to do so.
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4 - 5written by Wolfgang Bayer , Ann Waters-BayerAnimal production is in the bad books of many people concerned with global development. Animals compete with humans for food. Roughly 38% of the grain produced in the world is consumed by animals -in the USA as much as 70% and in the former Soviet Union over 50% (Durning & Brough 1991). Producing grain for animals also takes up land. If the land area needed to grow the feed imported for Dutch livestock were counted as part of the agricultural area of the Netherlands, this would be substantially larger than the whole country. So why should livestock-keeping be promoted in the \"Two-Thirds World\", where grain shortages are common and land is often scarce?
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6 - 7written by Robin MearnsThe change from a centrally-planned to a market-oriented economy has caused major upheaval in rural life in Mongolia. Robin Mearns hopes that the revival of traditional pastoral institutions and the change back from specialised to multi-species herds can help secure management of natural resources.
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8 - 9written by Camilla ToulminAnimals and labour for herding are exchanged between households in a wide variety of circumstances, and under many different terms. Based on research among livestock-owning farmers in the West African Sahel, Camilla Toulmin looks at herding contracts, whereby a herder is paid to care for farmers\' animals. She asks how this practice affects the overall productivity of Sahelian rangelands.
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10 - 11written by Hans-Peter LühlTo stop land degradation in southern Africa, a range management system is being applied which imitates elements of traditional herding. Although presently used mainly on large-scale commercial farms, Holistic Resource Management offers promise also for managing communal grazing areas where herding skills still exist.
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12 - 12written by Hermann GrellRecurrent failures of range management projects indicate that range scientists are far behind traditional pastoralists in making effective use of tropical rangeland. Hermann Grell makes a plea for policies promoting pastoralists.
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13 - 14written by Mark Powell , Felix IkpeIncreasing population and expansion of cropping, for both food and cash, is reducing soil fertility in many farming areas. The importance of animal manure to sustain crop production is increasingly recognised. Based on their research in Niger, Felix Ikpe and Mark Powell indicate how changes in livestock management affect nutrient cycling in crop-livestock systems in semiarid Africa south of the Sahara.
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15 - 16written by Richard Cincotta , Ganesh PangareIn many parts of the world, the productivity of farming systems pivots on animals\' ability to convert fodder into manure. In dry regions, crop residues decompose very slowly. Here, mutually beneficial relationships between herders and farmers revolve around each others\' need for fodder and fertiliser, using the livestock digestive system to speed up nutrient cycling. Richard Cincotta and Ganesh Pangare report how the manure trade is organised in part of Gujarat in India.
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17 - 17written by Gerard Slenders , Blanche ZoungranaBackyard poultry-keeping is the most widespread form of animal husbandry, but is little documented. Blanche Zoungrana and Gerard Slenders describe poultry-keeping in Blanche\'s home village, in Burkina Faso, and ask how this compares with your experiences.
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18 - 19written by Pearson RA , Denis FieldingThe donkey is a source of power which may be particularly appropriate for rural women. The authors review the potential of the donkey to reduce the workload of women in developing countries.
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20 - 21written by Wim Beijer , Godfrey MakitwangeAnimals can be important sources of energy for cropping. The authors describe how the animal traction component of an integrated agricultural project in southern Tanzania was developed in collaboration with local services, such as government extension staff and the Mbeya Oxenisation Project.
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22 - 22The indigenous knowledge of sheep-keepers in an isolated mountainous area of southern Mexico provides a basis for improving flock health. Mexican scientists have been learning from these illiterate but highly skilled women.
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23 - 24written by John YoungAnimal husbandry systems are changing fast in many countries, and traditional treatments often cannot be adapted fast enough to new circumstances. Modern vets may have effective treatments but transport problems often prevent them from reaching the farmers. John Young shows how community-based veterinary services can bridge the gap.
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25 - 25written by Wolfgang Bayer , Thomas ArmbrusterLivestock extensionists often have no data to indicate major technical problems. Conventional productivity studies may not be feasible, as they take too long. Much information can be gained through rapid surveys. Those described here are based on the authors\' experience in assessing productivity of cattle and small ruminants.
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29 - 29In agricultural cooperatives with cattle as their main source of income, the National Union of Farmers and Cattle-raisers (UNAG) in Nicaragua has gained positive results with an extension approach of farmers teaching each other on-farm.
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30 - 32written by D BucklesResearchers in Mexico and Honduras are working together to unlock the secret to a successful green-manuring technology developed by small-scale hillside farmers. Daniel Buckles shows how exchanges between farmers and researchers are being accelerated through effective networking.
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