Nomadic pastoralism

Nomadic pastoralism, also known as nomadic herding, is a way of life where people move their animals to find fresh places for them to eat. These animals include cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and more. True nomads move in unpredictable patterns, unlike some groups that follow set paths for certain seasons.

This lifestyle is common in places with little farmland, especially in parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. People who practice nomadic pastoralism often trade with farmers, giving meat in exchange for grains. However, sometimes they have also been known to take things by force.

There are about 30 to 40 million nomadic pastoralists around the world, mostly in central Asia and the Sahel region of Africa. As more animals graze in one place, it can damage the land and make it harder for plants to grow back. This can lead to serious problems for the environment and the people who depend on it.

Origin and history

Nomadic pastoralism started during the Neolithic Revolution when humans began domesticating animals and plants. This led to the rise of agriculture and cities. Nomads traded animal products like meat, hides, wool, and cheese for items made by settled cultures.

Some believe early nomadic herders lived in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon. Research shows that many ancient Eurasian nomads left behind rich burial sites, showing they were not poor. Pastoral nomads are identified by where they lived—outside farming areas—and by the animals they raised, mostly sheep and goats. One theory suggests that this lifestyle began after a big climate change around 6200 BC, when different groups came together and started raising animals.

Nomadic pattern in season

Many traditional nomadic groups follow a regular pattern each year. For example, in the northern hemisphere, they might move to higher areas during the summer and to desert plains during the winter. These trips can be about 180 to 200 kilometers long, and they often stay in the same places each year, sometimes building simple shelters.

In places like Chad, people live in strong villages during the rainy season. During the dry season, they move their animals to smaller, temporary villages and stay in tent camps.

David Christian's account

David Christian shared ideas about people who take care of animals. These animal caretakers live mainly from their herds, unlike farmers who grow plants. Because animals need more food, areas with little rain are better for animal care than farming. Over time, animals were used not just for meat but also for milk, wool, riding, and pulling things. When grass is scarce, herds must move, leading some groups to travel regularly. Some travel far, moving north in warm months and south when it’s cold. Near mountains, herds move up high in summer and down low in winter (transhumance). These animal caretakers often trade or sometimes take things from nearby farming communities.

Christian described two main areas: “Inner Eurasia,” where most people cared for animals with a few hunter-gatherers far north, and “Outer Eurasia,” a wide area of farming societies stretching from Europe through India to China. Big, advanced societies depend on farming, where people pay taxes to support leaders and scholars. Animal caretaker societies are generally simpler and more equal. Though one group might control others for a time, these groups usually break apart after about a hundred years. The main area for animal caretaking is the wide grasslands of Eurasian steppe. In the middle of Eurasia, animal care reached down to Iran and surrounded farming cities. When animal caretakers and farmers fought, the speed of horse riders helped balance the larger numbers of farmers. Farming societies often tried to take over the grasslands but usually failed until recent times. Animal caretakers would sometimes attack or ask for payments from their farming neighbors. In places like north China and Iran, they occasionally took control of farming areas, but these ruling groups didn’t last long and often changed when they adopted farming ways.

Around the world

Nomadic pastoralism has been common in places where farming is hard due to little rain or tough weather. It is seen in dry areas like the Arabian Peninsula, where the Bedouins live, and in Northeast Africa with groups like the Somalis. In very cold places such as Northern Europe and Russia, people such as the Sami people move their animals to find better grazing.

Many parts of the world had groups of people who moved with their animals. The wide grasslands of Eurasia were home to many such groups over thousands of years. Today, in places like Mongolia, a lot of people still live this way, moving their herds to find fresh grass and water.

Cross-border pastoralism

Sometimes, people who move their animals to find new grass take their herds across countries. This can cause problems because it is often done without the governments knowing. For example, in East Africa, most trade between countries happens this way. Animals like cows, camels, sheep, and goats are sold from Ethiopia to Somalia, Kenya, and Djibouti. This trade helps make food cheaper, keeps people safe from hunger, and can make countries get along better. But because it is not officially recorded, it can let diseases spread more easily. Also, governments lose money that they could have collected as taxes.

There are projects trying to help make this trade better and safer. These projects aim to help grow the economy and keep food available, while also making sure animals get the right vaccines. Some of these projects include the Regional Resilience Enhancement Against Drought and others supported by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO).