Pastoralists and peasants: perspectives on agrarian change

Abstract

For many years, studies of peasants and pastoralists have run in parallel, creating mutual blind-spots. This article argues that, despite contrasting research traditions and conceptual framings, there are many commonalities. The classic problematics of agrarian studiesaround production, accumulation and politicsapply as much to pastoralists as they do to peasants. Processes of social differentiation and class formation, the role of wage labour and questions around mobilisation and politics are consistently relevant. However, a reflection on a large literature on pastoralism across nine world regions reveals that there are nevertheless some important contrasts with classic representations of a settled peasantry. These are: living with and off uncertainty; mobility to respond to variability; flexible land control and new forms of tenure; dynamic social formations; collective social relations for a new moral economy; engaging with complex markets and a new politics for a transforming world. The article concludes by arguing that, under contemporary conditions, these are all important for understanding settled agrarian systems too, as today pastoralists and peasants face many of the same challenges. These seven themes, the article argues, offer a new set of lenses for examining pastoral and peasant settings alike, helping to expand perspectives in agrarian studies.

Changes on the Climatic Edge: Adaptation of and Challenges to Pastoralism in Montesinho (Northern Portugal)

“…Despite this, recent studies have shown positive synergies between livestock rearing and wildlife biodiversity, pointing to the value of integrated management of both components (Velado-Alonso, Morales-Castilla, Rebollo, et al 2020). However, there are fewer owners, unconsolidated flocks, and fewer shepherds due to a decline in the traditional mixed farming systems (Scoones 2020).…”

The role of short-term changes in cognitive capacity on economic expenditure among Kenyan agro-pastoralists

“…It controls for loss of livestock at the household level and provides a relative measure of the intensity of the loss. Among agro-pastoralist, the loss of livestock is expected to have financial and social capital losses [ 47 ] and therefore be associated with stress.…”

“…Such decision making requires cognitive capacity. Further claims about the decision-making of pastoralists are made, but with little, or no, testable supporting evidence [ 46 , 47 ].…”

Livestock and Climate Justice: Challenging Mainstream Policy Narratives

“…This article focuses on pastoralists who make use of extensive, highly variable rangelands, often through flexible mobility (Krätli 2019;Scoones 2021;Manzano et al 2021). These are harsh environments, where alternative production options and land uses would require high levels of external inputs and would not be sustainable.…”