Agroecological transitions of pastoralism: a discussion of key concepts and investigation of current dynamics using a political economy lens

Abstract

The paper provides a historical review and a contemporary snapshot of pastoral systems in Tunisia, exploring the dynamics of change in pastoral landscapes and territories and their respective drivers and outcomes. The core idea is to recognize the emerging diversity of pastoral systems in terms of structure and transformation, and thus to approach them analytically from a perspective of dynamic transition. The paper utilizes an agroecological gradient of transformation to illustrate the inherent agroecological nature of pastoralism by examining the different trajectories of these systems. The ongoing “hybridization” of pastoralism in South Tunisia is characterized by the emergence of diverse forms of pastoral activities and contexts. These novel forms of pastoralism occasionally diverge from certain agroecological principles. The paper also elucidates key factors that propel these trajectories and divergences of certain forms of pastoralism from agroecology. To this end, key elements and attributes from the political economy framework, with a particular focus on market and labor dynamics in pastoral areas, social metabolism, organizational structures, policies, institutions, and natural resource management, were discussed. The analysis shows how some of these drivers have contributed to the formation of a novel configuration of pastoralism.