We recently conducted fieldwork to enhance the economic capacity and resilience of the Sarıkeçili nomadic pastoralists. Our visits included discussions with families about production activities, labour dynamics, and challenges faced in meat and dairy production. We observed critical issues regarding pasture access, impacted by agricultural encroachment, climate change, and wildfires.
We recently conducted fieldwork as part of our project focused on enhancing the economic capacity and resilience of the Sarıkeçili nomadic pastoralists through a sustainable economic model.
On the first day, we visited the tents of Ibrahim Bacak and Helime Yagal, engaging in discussions about the production activities of the Sarıkeçililer, their processes, the key actors involved, and the primary challenges and opportunities they face.
The second day of our fieldwork involved visiting three additional tents. Our focus was on the economic aspects of mobile pastoralism, particularly the division of labour, labour relations, and the responsibilities within families during the production of meat, milk, dairy products, and goat hair.
On the third day, we ascended to an altitude of about 2000 meters, observing changes in both vegetation and climate. Our first stop was at the tent of Gülşen and Musa Gök. Access to pastures remains a critical issue for mobile pastoralists, and we observed firsthand how this affects their lives and production processes. The Gök family, in particular, has recently faced severe difficulties in finding suitable pastures, which has disrupted their way of life. The construction of buildings and infrastructure on pastures, agricultural encroachment, and the increasing drought and wildfires due to the climate crisis are causing significant loss of pastures. The current wildfires in the Mediterranean basin have led to the destruction of winter pastures, highlighting the urgent need to protect rangelands for the sustainable maintenance of this nature-integrated way of life.
On the last day of our fieldwork, we visited the tent of Rukiye and İsmail Bacak, who are striving to maintain their summer rotation effectively. Upon our arrival, the family had just set up their tent an hour earlier and planned to migrate to a new pasture the next morning. The primary motivation behind their frequent relocations is to prevent vegetation loss from overgrazing, ensuring that animals have access to fresh pastures. However, the current scarcity of fertile pastures makes this rotation necessary.
Mobile pastoralists are increasingly anxious about finding fertile pastures due to the escalating drought and fires and this calls for urgent action from all stakeholders of this issue.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the Sarıkeçililer who welcomed, hosted, and guided us throughout our study. Their cooperation and insights were invaluable in understanding the complexities and potential solutions for sustaining mobile pastoralism.
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