FINDING USEFUL FINDING USEFUL TRADITIONS: TRADITIONS:
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND THE USE OF ANIMALS IN THE USE OF ANIMALS IN AFRICAN AGRICULTUREAFRICAN AGRICULTURE
Peta A. JonesDonkey Power CC Facilitation & Consultancy Services,
PO Box 1695 Musina 0900, South Africa, cell +27 83 686 7539
e-mail [email protected]; website www.donkeypower.donkecology.com
THERE IS NOTHING THERE IS NOTHING NEW ABOUT NEW ABOUT
CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICAIN AFRICA
The Sahara seems to The Sahara seems to have started drying out have started drying out
around the time of around the time of Moses, and the Great Moses, and the Great Plagues of Egypt are Plagues of Egypt are fairly symptomatic of fairly symptomatic of
climate change.climate change.
Cultivation and stock keeping Cultivation and stock keeping were already widely were already widely
practised, but until about practised, but until about AD 1000, cattle were not AD 1000, cattle were not
very numerous. Sheep seem very numerous. Sheep seem to have been the preferred to have been the preferred
animal.animal.
Crops domesticated in Crops domesticated in Africa do not require Africa do not require
very high rainfallvery high rainfall
Conservation measures, Conservation measures, although requiring much although requiring much labour, were already labour, were already
part of African part of African farming practicesfarming practices
Then some change of Then some change of climate seems to have climate seems to have
encouraged cattle keeping, encouraged cattle keeping, and the structure of and the structure of
African societies African societies accordingly changed to accordingly changed to
accommodate thisaccommodate this
Not long afterwards, the Not long afterwards, the Portuguese introduced crops Portuguese introduced crops
from the Americas and from the Americas and elsewhere that did very well elsewhere that did very well in Africa, although requiring in Africa, although requiring
more moisture than more moisture than traditional onestraditional ones
Although minor fluctuations Although minor fluctuations of climate are very of climate are very
common in Africa, we seem common in Africa, we seem to be faced with another to be faced with another major one – and this time major one – and this time the causes are easier to the causes are easier to
detect.detect.
Too many people, Too many people, eating too much food, eating too much food, but not leaving enough but not leaving enough
space for farmingspace for farming
This is made This is made worse by an worse by an
appetite for foods appetite for foods that are very that are very
demanding on the demanding on the environmentenvironment
Although there Although there are species of are species of
plants and animals plants and animals that are not so that are not so
demandingdemanding
International bodies International bodies now recommend now recommend
that, for that, for sustainability, sustainability,
agriculture should:agriculture should:
Disturb the Disturb the soils as soils as little as little as possiblepossible
Keep soils Keep soils covered covered
year-roundyear-round
Grow crops Grow crops together and together and in rotationin rotation
Ensure the Ensure the proper proper
integration integration of animalsof animals
Ways of doing Ways of doing these things can these things can be found in the be found in the
traditionstraditions
But people But people must be asked, must be asked, not told, and not told, and women must women must
also be heard ! also be heard !
Top Related