This document is a book review of the future of pastoralism published in 2016 by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
[Authors’summary: The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has published a whopping issue of its Scientific and Technical Review (Vol. 35, Issue 2) with 720 pages devoted entirely to the topic of pastoralism –its history, pastoral systems in different parts of the world, recent developments in policy and practice, and opportunities for the future. It stresses that two-thirds of the world’s agricultural land is grassland or rangeland, mostly in semi-arid and high-altitude areas not suitable for growing crops. Extensive livestock production is the only resource-efficient way of producing food for human consumption in these areas. It also draws attention to the many other ways in which extensive systems of animal husbandry contribute to national economies, society, culture and the environment.
The editors –Jakob Zinsstag and Esther Schelling from the Tropical and Public Health Institute in Switzerland and Bassirou Bonfoh from the Swiss Centre for Scientific Research in Ivory Coast– compiled 28 papers by over 70 authors. The contributions are structured in five sections: (i) pastoralism and its constraints (5 papers); (ii) opportunities for pastoral development (4 papers); (iii) improving the economic viability and social aspects of pastoralism (11 papers); (iv) tools for development of pastoralism (4 papers); and (v) human and animal health in pastoralist communities (4 papers). Although this structure is shown in the table of contents, there is no indication in the main text when a new section begins. The introduction and final chapter are in English, French and Spanish. Most of the other papers are in English with only the abstract in French and sometimes in Spanish. One paper from Latin America is in Spanish and English with abstract in French.]
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