Cattle Herding And Modern Farming: Is The Traditional Practice Outdated?
The myth that cow herding is an antiquated global activity needs to be disproved, notwithstanding the farmer-herder crisis in Nigeria.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has shown that herding is a Fulani culture that should be respected rather than despised. Herding is the process by which Fulani herders transport their cattle over great distances to new grazing areas. The cattle are intended to graze on grasses and shrubs on unsuitable terrain for farming. The trip might take weeks or even months, and it covers a considerable amount of ground.
During the dry season, herders transport their livestock from the drier North to the greener central and southern regions, and vice versa when the rains return to the North. Thorough planning and familiarity with the routes and resources along the way are prerequisites for this practice. It is distinguished by the difficulties of the travel, including navigating through various environments, such as farms, and coping with the elements. The Fulani seldom kill the cattle for meat, instead depending on the livestock for milk.
But in Nigeria, the approach has resulted in an ongoing confrontation between farmers and herders. The competition for limited water and land, exacerbated by rising agricultural production and climate change, is the root cause of this conflict. Tension between Fulani herders and farmers is exacerbated by political, economic, and ethnic divides as well as insecurity and insecurity. There needs to be solutions to the dispute that incorporate resource management, community healing, and equitable policy. The conflict has resulted in violence, which has caused enormous losses and relocation.
However, this does not mean that educators, legislators, and public figures may continue to deceive the public by claiming that herding is no longer relevant. It’s not. Although it has changed, as we can all agree, it is still used globally. The practice of seasonal transhumance, or herding, was inscribed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO last month in eleven European nations. Albania, Andorra, Austria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, and Spain are the nations in question.
With transhumance, herders follow a seasonal migration pattern, usually moving to cool highlands in the summer and warmer lowlands in the winter. Similar to our Fulani nomads, these herders move between the same two locations, where they have permanent settlements. One can find online videos of these herders being celebrated whenever they pass through towns and villages with their animals in droves. On the contrary, many Nigerians will find it hard to believe that the seasonal livestock movement is celebrated and preserved for its cultural and environmental significance in Europe. This is the result of misinformation.
Another form of herding that still exists in the Western World is the traditional droving in Australia. It was once the backbone of the rural economy, especially during the drought when cattle must be moved to areas with better feed and water. Unlike Nigeria, the Australian droving is now romanticised as part of the country’s cultural heritage, with its iconic stock routes being a symbol of rural life and history. Similarly, in Argentina, the gaucho culture epitomises the country’s version of herders. Gauchos are similar to the North American cowboy. They historically manage vast herds of cattle on the grasslands. Despite of the Argentine pastoral system into ranching operations, the gaucho remains a cultural icon, with traditional skills and knowledge still valued in rural areas.
Coming into Africa, the Maasai, Samburu, and Turkana offer valuable lessons for Nigeria in maintaining its herding culture. Herding in Kenya is not just an economic activity but a cultural identity, with communities practising nomadic or semi-nomadic livestock rearing adapted to the challenges of arid and semi-arid regions. The key to their approach is the integration of traditional knowledge with modern sustainable practices, addressing challenges like climate change, land degradation, and resource competition.
Community-based conflict resolution, land use management, and climate adaptation strategies, such as water harvesting and drought-resistant pastoral systems, are pivotal. Nigeria can draw from this by encouraging sustainable herding practices, enhancing community engagement, and implementing policies that support pastoralists’ livelihoods while ensuring environmental conservation. Such a holistic approach would help Nigeria maintain its herding culture, vital for the socio-economic fabric of many communities, while addressing contemporary challenges.
We must acknowledge the roles played by the continuous expansion of urban areas and technological advancement in the country. These factors have led many people to cast traditional herding practices as outdated, putting them at odds with contemporary development goals. The view is enhanced by the never-ending conflicts between farmers and herders, which frame herding as a factor contributing to instability and insecurity. But as highlighted, this perspective is not solely a Nigerian phenomenon.
We cannot simply eradicate our culture when there are international best practices available to resolve the current disputes. As a result, talks about modernizing and incorporating pastoral practices within the country’s economic structure sustainably must go on.
The fact that transhumant herders have been recognized by UNESCO as part of Humanity’s Intangible Cultural Heritage demonstrates how important herding methods are to culture and the environment. Currently, the difficulty is in appreciating our history while adhering to modern demands.
