Social Network Analysis of the Stakeholders Involved in the Dromedary Sector in the Mediterranean Region

Véronique Alary,Semir Bechir Suheil Gaouar,Neirouz Letaief,Abdelilah Araba,Bernard Faye,Sonia Bedhiaf-Romdhani,Sergio Nogales Baena,Wiem Bensalem,Ciani Elena,Lina Amsidder,Ismail Boujenane,Cecilio Barba Capote,Laridji Amine,Carlos Iglesias Pastrana

doi:10.3390/su132112127

Abstract

Marginal arid zones in the south Mediterranean are faced with the dramatic departure of their labor forces through migration. Interest in the capacity of the dromedary species to enhance desert ecosystems and to be a potential lever of economic development of these marginal zones only started to grow in the last two decades. Based on an empirical survey of 179 stakeholders in four Mediterranean countries, we explored the links of the stakeholders in the dromedary sector in two dimensions: horizontal links with peers and vertical links along the value chain and in resource management. Both descriptive statistics and social network analysis highlight the original organization of the dromedary sector around herders and their social and cultural organization at the territorial level. Therefore, even if milk production and processing start to constitute an opportunity for the young generation who do not necessarily have the financial capacity to invest in a large dromedary herd, this change towards milk valorization can only happen if it is linked with the traditional system based on mobility. Using a systemic approach and working toward multiple valorizations of dromedary products instead of only targeting milk productivity should be explored.

Highlights

IntroductionSome marginal inland zones are faced with the dramatic departure of their labor force through migration leading to important social and natural changes
Recognizing the traditional and ongoing collective action at the community and sectoral level, our objective in the present paper is to explore and characterize the links between the main stakeholders in the camel sector that are the premises for the conception of a systemic organization within the CARAVAN Projects
The present ofits theoriginal social network in the camelthe sector based on athan rapid apthe value chain or focused intermediaries, which is the in the majority the praisal survey highlights its on original organization around thecase herders rather than of along economic sectors in agriculture

Summary

Introduction

Some marginal inland zones are faced with the dramatic departure of their labor force through migration leading to important social and natural changes These changes affect the arid and desert lands of southern Mediterranean countries where traditional societies used to explore and exploit vast uncultivated arid lands thanks to livestock systems based on grazing by mixed herds of dromedary camels (Camelus Dromedarius) We have opted for the term of camel that is commonly used in the region), sheep and goats, and mobility These mobile systems, called pastoral and agropastoral systems, were based on kinship links at the tribal level that made it possible to share resources in space and over time over the last centuries, as evidenced in many pastoral societies. All these research works point to the need to develop holistic approaches to the system at the multiple scales of space and time

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Discussion

Conclusion