The role of indigenous gums and resins in pastoralist livelihood security and climate change adaptation in Garbatulla area of Northern Kenya

Yasin Mahadi: Future Agricultures Consortium Early Career Fellow

Livestock, land and the changing political economy of pastoralism in Laikipia, 15-16 September 2011, Old house, Nanyuki

Livestock, land and the changing political economy of pastoralism in Laikipia, 15-16 September 2011 Nanyuki 2

Background

• 80% of Kenya land mass ASALs (Northern Kenya contributing the bulk)

• Hot and dry climate, erratic rainfall 150-750 mm

• Sparse vegetation

• Agriculture Marginal

• Area under developed

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Importance of the dry lands

• Support livelihoods of 25% of rural population

• Support more than 70% of livestock population

• Rich biodiversity (90% of gazetted national parks and game reserves)

• Pastoralism (contributed to 25% GDP in 2001) and wildlife conservation main economic activity

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Multiple stresses/challenges

• Frequent drought

• Violent conflict and cattle rustling

• Economic and political marginalisation (Before and after independence)

• Inappropriate development policies (resource allocation)

• Environmental degradation (as a result of disintegration of traditional systems of land stewardships)

Livestock, land and the changing political economy of pastoralism in Laikipia, 15-16 September 2011 Nanyuki 5

Climate change

• Exacerbate problems posed by climate variability

• Prolonged and severe drought, floods

• Resource use conflicts

• Cattle raids

• Accelerate rate of land degradation

• Reduce livestock and crop productivity (huge investment required)

•Woody vegetation may provide opportunity for economic development and safety net

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Objectives • Critically examine the role of gums and resins in livelihood security

and climate change adaptation among the pastoralists of Garbatulla area of northern Kenya

• Investigate whether additional income from harvesting indigenous gums and resins is used to support livestock-keeping systems or invested into other economic activities and trade

• Investigate the existing policy and value chain on gums and resins and the extent to which it favours sustainable harvesting and economically viable enterprises.

• Explore the opportunities that exist for value addition, disabling cartels and domestication of the gums and resins yielding tree

species

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Gums and resins • Exudates from stems and branches of Acacia,

Commiphora and Boswelia species

• Acacia-commiphora woodland-major vegetation type in study area

Gum arabic Acacia senegal

Acacia seyal

Hagar/Hur (Opoponax) Commiphora holtziana

Frankincense Boswelia neglecta

Myrrh Commiphora myrrha

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Methodology

• Study area (4 villages)

Malka daka

Belgesh

Barambate

Biliqo

•Data collection

Household survey questionnaires

Key respondent interview (Traders, NGOs and CBOs)

Focus group discussions

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Findings

Income and livelihood characteristics

52% derive financial benefits from livestock keeping

Gums and resins collection and sell: 59%

Other minor activities include:

• Charcoal

• Selling poles

• Shops (Food stuff)

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Constraints in changing livelihood (shift)

• Lack of financial capital

• Lack of knowledge

• Water scarcity

• Want to remain pastoralist (4%)

Findings

Findings (cont)

Income from livestock and gums and resins in Garbatulla area

3900

4000

4100

4200

4300

4400

4500

4600

4700

4800

Livestock Gums and resins

Livelihood activity

Mo

nth

ly i

nco

me (

Ksh

s)

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Individual villages

Barambate

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Livestock Gums and resins

Livelihood activity

Mo

nth

ly i

nco

me

(Ksh

s)

Livestock, land and the changing political economy of pastoralism in Laikipia, 15-16 September 2011 Nanyuki 13

Malka Daka

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Livestock Gums and resins

Livelihood activity

Mo

nth

ly i

nco

me (

Ksh

s)

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Biliqo village

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

Livestock Gums and resins

Livelihood activity

Mo

nth

ly i

nco

me (

Ksh

s)

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Belgesh

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Livestock Gums and resins

Livelihood activity

Mo

nth

ly i

nco

me

(Ksh

s)

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Operational cost

Monetary: Average of Ksh 990 per month

• Subsistence (food, water, cigarettes, tobacco, mirra)

• Tapping and storage equipment: axe, panga, knife

Kind

• Time (15 mins-20 hours to collect 1 Kg of Hagar)

Travel as far 80 km in search of hagar

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Income from gums and resins:

Buy subsistence (70%)

Pay school fees (24%)

Buy livestock/Restocking (22%)

Buy salt and drugs for livestock

Resource availability

Average collection per month: 38 Kg

collection from single tree 40g- 2kg

majority involved in tapping, damage trees to enhance productivity

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Trees abundant

Currently communities not considering domestication

65%- gums and resins resource declining (last years)

Community consider hagar from their area as the best in East Africa

No restriction on the harvest

Community members consider harvesting of gums and resins as environmentally friendly (no adverse effect on tree)

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Collectors

Data indicate:

Poor people. People with no livestock or few number

• Correlation analysis: r= -0.00214 (number of goat vs income from gums and resins), -0.5311 (number of cattle vs income)

Herders as they go on the herding business

Opportunists: cashing on emerging opportunities in addition to their normal livelihood activities

Men, women and children all involved in collection but selling done by head of household

Communities mostly rely on gums and resin collection during drought period “safety net” function

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Market and value chain

Collectors sell:

Directly to traders in major centres (who are involved in multiple trades)

Agents placed at major centres by traders (cartel)

Traders who go round buying from collectors at designated areas

Prices

Type Average price

Hagar 100

Frankincense 50

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Market and value chain (cont)

Collectors: 0.2-20kg to traders per each sale

Hagar main item of trade due to high market price

Price dynamics

Collectors: 60-100

Agents: 100-120

Traders: 180-280

Exporters: ?

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Prices depend:

• Demand

• Quantity (More Kgs better price at local level)

• Less extent season and quality

Prices improved due to demand: Kshs 30-100 in five years

• Demand

• Competition among traders (new entrant)

But Stagnated

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Uses of gums and resins

Hagar

• local uses- acaricide against ticks, treat snakes and scorpion bites, foot rot, mange, appetiser, chest congestions cold treatment

•Commercial uses: essential oils, herbal medicine in china, cosmetics

Frankincense

• Local uses- chewing gums, incense,

• Commercial- essential oil in perfumery, cosmetics and flavours industries

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• lack of capital (subsistence)-inefficient collection

• Travel far distance in search of gums and resins

• No established market/reliable buyers

• lack of sound market information to guide opportunities, trends, prices

•Trees producing less (drought)

• Transport

• Not knowledgeable on way to increase production

• Tree damage by camels mostly owned by the intruders “somalis” from Northern Eastern kenya

• Insecurity

Constraints faced by collectors

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• Market dominated by few “cartels”

• Supply does not meet the demand

• lack of operational capital

• lack of storage facility (hagar loose weight if kept for long)

• Certificate of origin (foresters don’t issue)

• Police officers ask for bribe during transportation (attribute gums and resins to explosive manufacturing)

• No issuing of permit-NEMA office not there in Garbatulla

Constraints faced by traders

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Opportunities

• Source of household income and economic development if sustainably exploited

• Create new jobs and complimentary/alternative livelihoods for pastoralists in Northern Kenya

• Cultural and social knowledge exist among the somalis which can be taken up by the Boranas alike

• Efforts to strengthen local knowledge and indigenous plant based activities can be linked to international programme

• Training programmes can be initiated for collectors on technique to increase production (KEFRI doing on small scale currently)

• Value addition (Factory built in Wajir)

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Thank you