Association of the promotion of cattle breeding in savannas and in the Sahel (APESS)
Throughout the centuries across the whole Sahel region (South from Sahara, extending from Senegal to Sudan) local tribes, like Peul, Tuareg or Gorane have developed a nomadic way of life based on transhumance. During the wet season, when grass grows fast providing rich and abundant feed, their cattle produce larger quantities of milk. However, as the wet season ends grazing lands dry up and pastoralists with their livestock have to travel long distances in search for other rangelands.
Such a way of life has resulted in establishing a close link between the herders and their animals. Beyond the commercial value of their products (milk, meat, skins), animals are central to a complex system of values, beliefs and emotions.
A project to assist the local population: Today such a way of life is under threat. The demographic pressure makes sedentary farming spread at the expense of the lands traditionally used by nomadic pastoralists. Considered archaic, this way of animal husbandry is of limited interest to the public authorities.
Confronted with this situation, APESS encourages the herders to settle at least a part of their livestock, preferably the best animals. If they do so, during the dry season they can use the hay stocked in barns built by the association to feed their herds. Harvested at a proper time and suitably stored hay can provide a much richer diet than dry grass which stays outside and it contributes to maintaining milk production throughout the year. Such a permanent settlement helps the breeder to assure its production space.
However, herdsmen are deeply attached to their traditions and adopting a new way of life demands of them a profound change in mentality. That is why APESS always starts with seminars during which general agriculture and development issues are discussed before organizing a technical training. APESS aims at both, helping the pastoralists to adapt to changes and at the same time at putting emphasis on the cultural value of their way of life which is still relevant and deserves being preserved. APESS’s goal is to maintain traditional pastoralism as an income generating activity and to safeguard the cultural heritage of those who live from it.
Pastoral sedentarization gives results: Founded in 1989, APESS operates today in 10 countries and has around 6000 members organized in 56 so-called “regions” and 400 “zones”.
