Agriculture and Human Values

, Volume 23, Issue 2, pp 215–229 | Cite as

Continuity and Change in Pastoral Livelihoods of Senegalese Fulani

  • Hanne Kirstine Adriansen
Article
Accepted:

Abstract

Based on fieldwork in northern Senegal, this paper shows how some pastoralists in Ferlo have managed to use market opportunities as a means to maintain their “pastoral way of life” Increased market involvement has enlarged the field of opportunities for pastoral activities as well as the vulnerability of these activities. This has given rise to a dialectic process of diversification and specialization. The paper is concerned with the portfolio of livelihood activities pastoralists use in order to respond to adverse socio-economic and environmental conditions. Depending on the possibilities and values of a household, a certain combination of activities is chosen and this may change from one year to another. Hence, the activities are used in a dynamic way within households. On the basis of pastoral livelihood activities, four ideal types of pastoral livelihood strategies can be constructed: “agro-pastoralism,” “Tabaski pastoralism,” “commercial pastoralism,” and “non-herding pastoralism.” These four types illustrate how pastoralists re-invent their livelihoods in order to continue a pastoral way of life.

Keywords

Fulani Ideal types Livelihood strategies Market opportunities Pastoral production Senegal 
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Copyright information

© Springer 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  • Hanne Kirstine Adriansen
    • 1
  1. 1.Danish Institute for International StudiesCopenhagen KDenmark

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