Development of Agropastoralism in a Nomadic Community Settled along the Niger River in Mali

Abstract

In the region of Timbuktu in Mali, the droughts of the 1970- 80’s and the Tuareg rebellion of the 1990’s led nomadic populations to settlement and cultivation. At the beginning of a new project supporting agropastoral organizations, the NGO Vétérinaires Sans Frontières launched several studies to assess these changes. Thus, we studied the evolution of the agricultural system of an Arab community settled along the Niger River. Three farming systems were characterized. The transhumant agropastoralists (20% of the families) are settled on the Niger banks. They grow rice and burgu grass in the flood plains. They rear small ruminant herds that do not however satisfy all family needs. The nomadic pastoralists (74%) still specialize in livestock farming; livestock management is based on herd and family mobility in order to exploit Sahelian rangelands. At last, semi-nomadic agropastoralists (6%) combine a settled way of life during the dry season on the river banks and nomadism during the rainy season, while salaried employees work in their fields. The study of the relationship between livestock farming and cropping, and of resources use can help shape development policies based on crop intensification on the river banks.