Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Field School

In sub-Saharan Africa, pastoralism is usually practiced especially in the arid lands where the climate is hot and dry with low and erratic rainfall and rugged terrain. The pastoralists are characterized by varying aspects of socio-cultural set ups, production forms and strategies of survival which include mobility. The pastoralists’ main mode of livelihood is livestock keeping where varied species are kept according to desire but the main species being camel, sheep, goats and cattle. Pastoralists have the highest incidence of poverty and the least access to basic services. Though most pastoralists are mobile, different kinds of production systems/set ups have been identified and each has its economic contribution. The Ethiopian Government is committed to address these challenges through policy reform and targeted programs, such as improving pastoral livelihoods and assets, improving the management of rangelands encouraging livelihood diversification and human resource development. But pastoral livelihood is not improved as expected because of weak extension services. In order to tackle this problem, the government has given emphasis in developing agricultural extension road map. Accordingly, pastoral extension system has been revised and agricultural extension strategy has been put in place. As one of the extension methodology Field School approach has been adapted in the national extension strategy. Food and Agricultural organization (FAO), IGAD-FAO partnership, JICA, RPLRP and other projects have demonstrated as piloted and tested Agro-pastoral and Pastoral School approach (A/PFS) in pastoral areas. A/PFS is one of the approaches to provide sustainable extension service to the pastoral and agro-pastoral areas in which groups of pastoralists learn through observation and experimentation in their own context based on the principles of adult education. Even if linkages and integration problems among implementers at all levels of agricultural offices was observed during performance assessment undertaken by MoA, the approach allows pastoralists to improve their management skills and become knowledge experts on their own resource use practices. The approach empowers pastoralists using experiential and participatory learning techniques rather than advising them what to do. The A/PFS approach, in contrast to most conventional extension approaches, it strengthens the capacity of local communities to analyze their livelihood systems, identify their main constraints and test possible solutions.