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Traps and Thresholds in Pastoralist Mobility

Author

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  • Russell Toth

Abstract

This article presents a new approach to identifying poverty traps in East African pastoralist communities. A flexible semiparametric estimation procedure is used to identify a bifurcation in the propensity to engage in the asset-based, mobile herding livelihood, in comparison to the sedentary alternative, as a function of herd size. The identified threshold is consistent with previous evidence on poverty traps based on modeling herd stock dynamics. The approach contributes to an emerging literature that seeks to identify poverty traps through testing the implications of the posited behavioral mechanism behind the trap, as opposed to directly modeling asset dynamics. The approach is further employed to provide complementary evidence on the relationship between ability and assets in sustaining mobile pastoralism.

Suggested Citation

  • Russell Toth, 2015. "Traps and Thresholds in Pastoralist Mobility," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 97(1), pages 315-332.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:ajagec:v:97:y:2015:i:1:p:315-332.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ajae/aau064
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    Cited by:

    1. Paulo Santos & Christopher B. Barrett, 2017. "Heterogeneous Wealth Dynamics: On the Roles of Risk and Ability," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Poverty Traps, pages 265-290, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Berry, Kevin & Fenichel, Eli P. & Robinson, Brian E., 2019. "The ecological insurance trap," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    3. Barrett, Christopher B. & Santos, Paulo, 2014. "The impact of changing rainfall variability on resource-dependent wealth dynamics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 48-54.
    4. John, Felix & Toth, Russell & Frank, Karin & Groeneveld, Jürgen & Müller, Birgit, 2019. "Ecological Vulnerability Through Insurance? Potential Unintended Consequences of Livestock Drought Insurance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 357-368.
    5. Mirza, M. Usman & Richter, Andries & van Nes, Egbert H. & Scheffer, Marten, 2019. "Technology driven inequality leads to poverty and resource depletion," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 215-226.
    6. Ayako Matsuda & Kazushi Takahashi & Munenobu Ikegami, 2019. "Direct and indirect impact of index-based livestock insurance in Southern Ethiopia," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 44(3), pages 481-502, July.
    7. Janzen, Sarah A. & Carter, Michael R., 2013. "The Impact of Microinsurance on Consumption Smoothing and Asset Protection: Evidence from a Drought in Kenya," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 151141, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Nathaniel Jensen & Munenobu Ikegami & Andrew Mude, 2017. "Integrating Social Protection Strategies for Improved Impact: A Comparative Evaluation of Cash Transfers and Index Insurance in Kenya," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 42(4), pages 675-707, October.
    9. repec:ags:aaea22:335917 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Kelvin Mashisia Shikuku & Ibrahim Ochenje, 2025. "Impact of index insurance on downside income risk: Evidence from northern Kenya," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(2), pages 863-891, May.
    11. Sarah A. Janzen & Michael R. Carter & Munenobu Ikegami, 2021. "Can insurance alter poverty dynamics and reduce the cost of social protection in developing countries?," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 88(2), pages 293-324, June.
    12. Wilcox, Steven W. & Barrett, Christopher B. & Jensen, Nathaniel & Sun, Ying & Clark, Patrick & Soto, Gerardo E. & Kahiu, Njoki & Fava, Francesco P. & Porter, Benjamin, 2023. "The Environmental Impacts of Microfinance: An Empirical Study of Index-Based Livestock Insurance and East African Rangelands," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335917, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Jensen, Nathaniel D. & Barrett, Christopher B. & Mude, Andrew G., 2017. "Cash transfers and index insurance: A comparative impact analysis from northern Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 14-28.
    14. Sarah A Janzen & Michael R Carter, 2019. "After the Drought: The Impact of Microinsurance on Consumption Smoothing and Asset Protection," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 101(3), pages 651-671.
    15. Takuto Sakamoto, 2016. "Mobility and Sustainability: A Computational Model of African Pastoralists," Journal of Management and Sustainability, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 6(1), pages 59-75, March.
    16. Yuma Noritomo, 2025. "Does the Timing of Productivity Shocks in Childhood Affect Educational Attainment?," Discussion Paper Series DP2025-19, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Jan 2026.
    17. Janzen, Sarah A. & Carter, Michael R. & Ikegami, Munenobu, 2012. "Valuing Asset Insurance in the Presence of Poverty Traps: A Dynamic Approach," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124805, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    18. Jensen, Nathaniel & Barrett, Christopher B. & Mude, Andrew, 2014. "Index Insurance and Cash Transfers: A Comparative Analysis from Northern Kenya," MPRA Paper 61372, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Sakketa, Tekalign Gutu & Maggio, Dan & McPeak, John, 2025. "The protective role of index insurance in the experience of violent conflict: Evidence from Ethiopia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • C50 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - General

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