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 asstute@lantic.net; 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 !