Discusses pastoral systems research (PSR) within the framework of the experience of livestock and pastoral development in Africa during the last 50 years, analyzing data on livestock population & productivity in relation to the welfare of pastoralists; and examines previous efforts in pastoral development relevant to PSR approach.

This paper examines a process - the spontaneous enclosure of the range by livestock owners - which may rise new problems but also permit new approaches to the development of the African livestock industry. Drawing on case material from Sudan and Somalia, the opening section of the paper discusses some of the spontaneous range enclosure.

Discusses the importance of wealth differences among producers in traditional pastoral production systems, describing a rapid method, dependent on informants, for determining the wealth rank of producers within a given community in order to stratify a population of producers before sampling.

Discusses the need for identifying sociological and economic possibilities for improvement in pastoral production systems, mentioning the major steps involved, particularly, identification of potential improvements, prediction of their likely impact on net production & quality of life; prediction of the probability of adoption; and assessment of the rapidity with which the improvements will bear fruit.

The livelihoods of pastoralists revolve around their indigenous livestock. Combining high

production with disease resistance using genetic engineering is a biotechnological intervention

hailed by some as a promising avenue to mitigate food insecurity and poverty. Considerable

human and financial resources have already been devoted to exploring this option. However, the

challenges are enormous. It is unlikely that such livestock would survive in the harsh ecosystems

The traditional lifestyle of nomadic pastoralists is vanishing rapidly, because of human population growth which often leads to land scarcity or political pressure on pastoralists to settle. The sedentarisation of the Bahima pastoralists in Western Uganda started in the 1940s and is still going on. In this study former nomadic cattle keepers, who have settled with their families, were interviewed in order to document the decision to settle and the subsequent changes in the lifestyle of these people. All interviewees expressed their satisfaction with their sedentary life.

Examines the productivity of East African pastoral systems in terms of animal protein & energy production, milk offtake and livestock production parameters such as calving percentage, calf mortality and herd structure; compares the productivity of East African pastoral systems to those of commercial ranches and to pastoral systems in other parts of the world.

Discusses the Kenya Rangeland Ecological Monitoring Unit (KREMU), mentioning its objectives, initial tasks related to identifying ecological units, testing survey methods, training of staff & designing appropriate computer programmes; describes the Unit's achievements, with emphasis on ecological surveys & censuses carried out within the framework of on-going ecological monitoring programmes; outlines problems encountered.