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The Transformation of the Afar Commons in Ethiopia: State Coercion, Diversification, and Property Rights Change among Pastoralists

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  • Hundie, Bekele
  • Padmanabhan, Martina Aruna

Abstract

The major economic activity for pastoralists is animal husbandry. The harsh environment in which herders raise their livestock requires constant mobility to regulate resource utilization via a common property regime. In contrast to the mobile way of life characterizing pastoralism, agriculture as a sedentary activity is only marginally present in the lowlands of the Afar regional state in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, this study reveals a situation where the traditional land–use arrangements in Afar are being transformed due to the introduction of farming. In the past, the Imperial and the Socialist governments introduced large–scale agriculture in a coercive manner, thereby instigating massive resistance from the pastoralists. Currently, the recurrence of drought in the study areas has facilitated the subdivision of the communal land on a voluntary basis for the purpose of farming. Qualitative and quantitative analysis highlight the drivers, both coercive and non–coercive, of the transformation of traditional property rights of Afar pastoralists.

Suggested Citation

  • Hundie, Bekele & Padmanabhan, Martina Aruna, 2008. "The Transformation of the Afar Commons in Ethiopia: State Coercion, Diversification, and Property Rights Change among Pastoralists," CAPRi Working Papers 44360, CGIAR, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:capriw:44360
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.44360
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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