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Too Many People and Too Few Livestock in West Africa? An Evaluation of Sandford's Thesis

Author

Listed:
  • Mark Moritz
  • Britney R. Kyle
  • Kevin C. Nolan
  • Steve Patrick
  • Marnie F. Shaffer
  • Gayatri Thampy

Abstract

We examine whether Stephen Sandford's (2006b) 'too many people, too few livestock' thesis for the Greater Horn of Africa applies to West Africa. In a comparative study of seven pastoral systems across West Africa we found that pastoralists have generally successfully adapted to pressures on grazing resources. We describe three adaptive strategies: 1) integration and intensification in the Sudanian zone; 2) movement to the Sub-Humid zone; and 3) extensification in the Sahelian zone. We end by proposing four interrelated factors that account for the differences in pastoral systems between West Africa and the Greater Horn of Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Moritz & Britney R. Kyle & Kevin C. Nolan & Steve Patrick & Marnie F. Shaffer & Gayatri Thampy, 2009. "Too Many People and Too Few Livestock in West Africa? An Evaluation of Sandford's Thesis," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(7), pages 1113-1133, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:45:y:2009:i:7:p:1113-1133
    DOI: 10.1080/00220380902811058
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Courbois, Claude & Delgado, Christopher L. & Ehui, Simeon K. & Rosegrant, Mark W. & Steinfeld, Henning, 1999. "Livestock to 2020: the next food revolution," 2020 vision briefs 61, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Delgado, Christopher L. & Rosegrant, Mark W. & Steinfeld, Henning & Ehui, Simeon K. & Courbois, Claude B., 1999. "Livestock to 2020: The Next Food Revolution," Food, Agriculture and the Environment Discussion Papers 42276, CGIAR, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Mark Moritz, 2010. "Crop–livestock interactions in agricultural and pastoral systems in West Africa," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 27(2), pages 119-128, June.
    3. Augustine Ayantunde & Rainer Asse & Mohammed Said & Abdou Fall, 2014. "Transhumant pastoralism, sustainable management of natural resources and endemic ruminant livestock in the sub-humid zone of West Africa," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1097-1117, October.
    4. James Ellison & Katja Brinkmann & Rodrigue V. Cao Diogo & Andreas Buerkert, 2022. "Land cover transitions and effects of transhumance on available forage biomass of rangelands in Benin," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(10), pages 12276-12310, October.
    5. Berhe, Melaku & Hoag, Dana & Tesfay, Girmay & Oniki, Shunji & Kagatsume, Masaru, 2016. "Effects of adaptation to climate change on income of cattle owners in the pastoral and agro-pastoral communities of Northern Ethiopia," 2016 Fifth International Conference, September 23-26, 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 246974, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).

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