The pastoral environment of northern Senegal

Abstract

In this article Toure catalogues a century of change in the nomadic way of life brought about by French colonialism and capitalism. He describes the transformation of the Peul who farmed and herded a variety of animals in a system of long‐distance transhumance into permanently settled cattle ranchers. The environmental consequences are disastrous, as the long drought made clear. The human consequences are more mixed. This article raises interesting questions about class differentiation and changes in women's responsibilities: do boreholes reduce the work of water carrying and do larger herds increase the work of milking and making butter?