Mercy Corps is adding a critical perspective to the livestock emissions debate, emphasizing the potential benefits of pastoralists, or those who move herds across land, in drylands and opening a pathway toward food security previously often overlooked by dominant climate narratives.

“What’s missing from climate action campaigns and commitments around livestock production? A lot,” says Carmen Jaquez, Mercy Corps Director of Evidence and Learning for Resilient Drylands Production Systems for the Horn of Africa. Current narratives are biased, lacking input from communities they seek to change – in this case, pastoralists in Africa – and failing to apply a much-needed climate justice lens. Jaquez expands upon this argument in a recently published paper in Mercy Corps Climate: Possible position paper series titled, “How livestock can advance climate adaptation and mitigation goals.” Here we take a look at some of the lessons learned.

What is Pastoralism?

Pastoralism is more than just an economic system; it’s a way of life, a cultural identity, and a production system. Mobility is the key to sustainability, as animals migrate between seasonal pastures and water points, optimizing the use of fragile dryland ecosystems. In Africa, pastoralism has long relied on the “characteristic instability” of rangeland environments to manage resources effectively. Pastoralists live across the African continent, practicing pastoralism in dryland landscapes where crop-based agriculture is not possible.  It’s not that different to cattle production in U.S. Midwest and West, where animals rotate through pastures or are trucked to reach seasonal grazing areas in different parts of the country.

A Seat at the Table

Historically, pastoralist communities have been ignored and marginalized, says Jaquez. Their only recognized contributions to society were animals. They didn’t have roads, schools or a history of public investment and development.

“People haven’t appreciated what these communities contribute to society beyond their animals,” she says. “Until recently, we rarely saw investment in development efforts for pastoralists.  Across the drylands, there is a history of humanitarian assistance during times of crises – a drought, for example – and little else. When you approach drylands and pastoralism as a problem that needs to be fixed, instead of recognizing a dynamic, resilient and ecologically based economy, you miss the potential and the opportunity.”

Read the full article at the Global Washington blog.