Ministry of Water and Livestock Development, University of Dar Es Salaam

The traditional knowledge of pastoralists is the subject of this report for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s Local Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LinKS) Project on gender, biodiversity and local knowledge systems for food security. According to this research, pastoralists' traditional knowledge has enabled them to survive difficult and often changing environments throughout history. Despite this potential, indigenous knowledge is often unrecognised by development initiatives and risks being lost, leading to household food insecurity amongst these groups.

For many years, the Maasai and Barbaig pastoralists of Tanzania have used their extensive knowledge of livestock and biodiversity to sustain themselves across changing environmental conditions. Women play a significant role in the application and preservation of this indigenous knowledge, which centres on maintaining animal health, foraging plants and managing pastoral lands.

This vast reserve of knowledge has potential to contribute to scientific knowledge and development, but it has not been given the recognition it deserves. A report from the FAO warns of the dangers posed by developmental initiatives that ignore indigenous knowledge. The research claims that the loss of this knowledge exposes pastoral communities to food insecurity.

By examining how the Maasai and Barbaig communities have traditionally cared for their livestock and environment, the report suggests ways to sustain indigenous knowledge and incorporate this with conventional, ‘scientific’ techniques of livestock care and land management. There are also ways to share this knowledge with other communities for the purpose of helping to give pastoral communities adequate protection for their long-term food security.

The research finds that:

• Pastoral communities have been able to preserve and successfully implement their indigenous knowledge systems in new environments.
• Traditional systems are used to predict weather, as well as to improve pastoral lands by techniques such as rotating grasing and care for livestock.
• Women in both communities play a vital role in livestock management, but they have little power in decision-making and limited opportunities to broaden their knowledge through exchanging experiences with men.
• Indigenous knowledge can contribute to conventional pastoral management and animal husbandry science. Many local people believe the combination of indigenous and conventional knowledge would benefit most Maasai and Barbaig pastoralists.

The local knowledge identified in this study forms the basis for local decision-making on food security, natural resource management, animal health and many other activities vital to pastoral communities. The authors recommend that policymakers and development workers:

• Continue to recognise, identify, validate and document indigenous pastoral techniques and integrate them into conventional management approaches for pastoral land.
• Act on the study’s finding that Maasai and Barbaig pastoralists are willing to cooperate, learn and share their knowledge by providing them with more services for pastoral land management.
• Promote the sustainable use of resources and the conservation of biological diversity in order to improve the food security and livelihoods of not only pastoralists, but also entire rural communities.
• Encourage knowledge sharing among the pastoral communities to allow them to expand their existing knowledge.

id21 website on October 9 2006.