Local knowledge of transhumance practices in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Mali

Abstract

Studies on transhumance have often focused on pastoralists – in particular the Fulanis – of Sahelian areas. To give another perspective, the present study investigated transhumance prac­tices in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Mali by integrating the perception of farmers and sedentary herders affected by tran­shumance in the host areas. Possible scenarios of transhumant pastoralism for the future were also analyzed. Data were col­lected through focus groups and individual interviews. The results showed that transhumance was no longer solely prac­ticed by Fulani pastoralists but involved various ethnic groups. Over 70% of the interviewed farmers, sedentary pastoralists and transhumant pastoralists in the two study sites reported that the benefits of transhumance for the host communities in terms of manure deposit in crop fields had been decreasing. Although the majority of respondents reported an increase in transhumance practices in the last thirty years, they forecast their decline in the coming years. The increasing competition over grazing resources between members of host communities and transhumant pastoralists in Southern Mali creates a dead­lock and frustrations expressed by mutual distrust.