The feasibility of agroforestry interventions for traditionally nomadic pastoral people

Historically, the nomadic traditions of pastoralists have been alternately attacked and romanticized. In fact, pastoral groups represent a range of production systems with wide variations in pastoral and cultivation activities. Given this range and the ecological and sociopolitical constraints facing pastoralists today, agroforestry interventions appear not only feasible, but perhaps imperative for some pastoral groups. However, their design and implementation must be carried out with keen awareness and respect for the unique ecological and cultural position traditionally nomadic pastoral people hold. A review of the sociopolitical and natural resource management literature on existing sylvopastoral and agrosylvopastoral technologies points to the importance of social issues such as gender, land and tree tenure, equity, and cultural context. These provide the basis for discussing the feasibility of agroforestry interventions in terms of their aims, potentials, and risks for pastoral groups.