Abstract
In pastoralist and agro-pastoralist areas, wealth and poverty are closely aligned to levels of livestock ownership and social inclusion. Whereas cash income per capita is a useful measure of poverty in non-pastoralist areas, measures of livestock ownership per capita are needed to understand poverty in pastoralist systems. This study estimated a livestock threshold for agro-pastoralist households in Karamoja, being the minimum per capita ownership of livestock needed to sustain a predominantly agro-pastoral livelihood. The study then applied the livestock threshold to pre-existing livestock population data to estimate the proportions of households above and below the threshold. Using an estimated livestock threshold of 3.3 Tropical Livestock Units (TLU)/capita for agro-pastoralism, 56.5% of households in Karamoja’s main livestock-keeping districts were below the threshold and could be categorized as livestock-poor. The ownership of livestock was skewed in two main ways. First, there was a high-end skew with the wealthiest 30% of households owning 69.3% of all livestock in terms of TLU. Second, there was a low-end skew. Among poorer households, below the 3.3 TLU/capita livestock threshold, livestock ownership was skewed away from the threshold. Forty-seven per cent of these households owned only 1.2 TLU/capita or less; 13% of households owned no livestock at all. These findings are discussed, with programming and policy recommendations.
Highlights
Changing pastoralist livelihoods and measuring poverty It is widely recognized that across pastoralist areas of East Africa, there is a long-term trend of changing livelihoods and livelihood diversification
This paper examines livestock ownership patterns in Karamoja to estimate the number and proportion of households with enough animals to practise agropastoralism to generate most of their food and income from livestock and crop production
A livestock ownership threshold was estimated for agro-pastoralism in Karamoja using a simple economic model
Summary
Changing pastoralist livelihoods and measuring poverty It is widely recognized that across pastoralist areas of East Africa, there is a long-term trend of changing livelihoods and livelihood diversification Research associated this trend with state and market integration of pastoralists (Dahl 1979; Ensminger 1992) and, to varying degrees, livestock losses due to conflict, drought, or animal disease outbreaks. Negative diversification can involve substantial labour for limited income; exposes workers to health risks or abuse, especially for women and girls; or has Catley and Ayele Pastoralism: Research, Policy and Practice (2021) 11:27 negative environmental impacts It can include forms of outmigration such as those associated with limited income and remittances, or family break-up
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