Mixing science with tradition among Burkina Faso’s migratory herders

In the Sahel drylands of West Africa, migratory cattle herding is still a major way of life. For centuries, the region’s indigenous Fulani communities have followed informal seasonal migratory routes between arid zones, river valleys and wetlands to keep herds fattened on fresh pasture. In Burkina Faso, livestock are an important part of the economy, and migratory herding is a more resilient means of raising cattle, adapted to the local environment.