Pastoralism occupies a quarter of the world land area which is predominantly arid and semi-arid
and supports tens of millions of pastoral households in which 60% are found in Africa. Pastoralism is
an economic activity and land use system with its own distinct characteristics and it is a way of life
for people who derive most of their income or sustenance from keeping domestic livestock reared in
conditions where most of the feed is natural rather than cultivated or closely managed. In pastoral systems livestock production is the mainstay of people’s livelihood.
