Just like agriculture in general, livestock farming in Tanzania has to deal with many challenges. Originally, pastoralists roamed the countryside with their herds, always looking for pastures with enough fodder for their animals. Today, strong population growth, soil degradation, overgrazing and climate change make this behaviour impossible. Pastoralists have to make do with much smaller areas. How can they produce enough fodder for their livestock on these small areas?
The answer is silvapasture - or more simply, forest grazing. This is pasture that is planted with drought-resistant grasses and deliberately supplemented with shrubs and trees on the same land. These provide valuable proteins, vitamins and minerals for the animals, and at the same time shade the planted grass so that it is not as exposed to the weather. This method can feed up to two cattle per hectare all year round in the tropics - many times what was possible with the old semi-nomadic method.
It is actually a very simple solution, but the biggest challenge is the change of mindset it requires. For many pastoralists, the idea of taking care of planting fodder material themselves, which until now has "always grown by itself", is completely unimaginable. Nevertheless, this is the only answer for the future of livestock production in this continent already so shaken by climate change, and we are trying to bring it closer to the people here. Please pray that we succeed!
