Pastoralism—a rural activity that prevails in dryland regions

As far back as Neolithic times, people in Africa and elsewhere in the world have specialized in pastoral livestock herding. The climate has meanwhile changed, and these herding peoples have been wandering in quest of suitable environments for their herds, while constantly adapting their lifestyle and production strategies to the new conditions they encounter. In addition to climatic variations, recent political and socioeconomic upheavals due to booming global population growth are affecting pastoral environments. Despite this, pastoralism is practiced to an increasing extent in some vast regions worldwide, especially in dryland areas where this activity is especially relevant. Livestock farmers in these areas use rearing techniques that are adapted to the scarce and spatiotemporally variable resources (especially fodder and water). These include:

choosing and combining livestock species that are multipurpose, adapted to the environment (aridity, heat) and herding strategy (long-distance movements, difficult watering conditions, etc.);
using diversified fodder: grasses, forage trees and shrubs (as supplement feed) and crop residue;
promoting herd mobility, sometimes with the entire herding family involved.

Pastoralism has an important socioeconomic role, providing many goods and services for human societies: products of high market and nutritional value (milk, meat, leather, pelts), a source of energy (animal draught and transport), manure for crops, socioeconomic support (employment, mutual community aid, etc.), a savings instrument, etc.

A substantial number of people (1/6 of the population in some countries) live off pastoralism and an even higher number gain income throughout the commodity chain up to the consumer. Pastoralism thus contributes to food security in producing and importing countries. It enables the development of large tracts of land in these regions where otherwise there is little potential for economic development. The organization of pastoral societies is also an element of social stability and peace in dryland regions.