About the project
How do you reduce conflicts between pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, and farmers in Tanzania?
The Livestock in the Forest (LIVEFOR) project aims at investigating livestock keeping in Village Land Forest Reserves for resolving the increasing farmer-pastoral conflicts.We asked Professor Jumanne Abdallah, the project coordinator, about the main objectives of his research project.
The project is implemented in partnership between Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Tanzania, and Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy (MNMA), Tanzania, together with University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark.
What are the main objectives of your research?
The main objective of the LIVEFOR project is to understand the extent to which the inclusion of livestock keeping in Village Land Forest Reserves could reduce conflicts and benefit the relationship between pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and farming communities in Tanzania.
The research project allows us to examine and challenge how dominant narratives about livestock and forestry are reproduced in Tanzania. It further provides an opportunity to disseminate and discuss project findings with pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, authorities in Tanzania, as well as international communities.
What development changes are expected to result from your research and through which channels (policy/community/others)?
We expect to see changes at policy level that strive to integrate livestock in forests and thereby improve the livelihoods of pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and farming communities.
Why is it important to conduct research in your thematic research area in Tanzania?
Conflicts between pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, farming communities and forest authorities over land, borders, crop damage, access to water and encroachment are widespread in the country. They lay at the heart of numerous interactions between government entities, farmers and pastoralists and agro-pastoralists and they often result in court cases and evictions.
Our hypothesis is that forests on village land, (about 45% of the total land mass in Tanzania), have substantial quantities of fodder and water that can be used by livestock in ways that mutually benefit the pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and farming communities without compromising the objectives of forest conservation. Therefore, it is extremely important to conduct research to assess the extent to which the inclusion of livestock keeping in the Village Land Forest Reserves could reduce conflicts between pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and farming communities in Tanzania while improving their well-being.
What are the mutual benefits of the collaboration for the involved partners of the research project?
North-South collaboration brings mutual benefits. It contributes to enhancing research and educational capacities through sustaining the knowledge gained and supporting its application and further development beyond the project duration.
PhDs: Three Tanzanian PhDs and One Tanzanian Postdoc student
Implementation period: 1 March, 2020 – 28 February, 2025
Danida support: 11,998,945 DKK
Find more information about the project at the Danida Research Portal.
And the project website for other information, including publications.
Source: https://dfcentre.com/in-the-words-of-the-researcher-livestock-in-the-forest-project
