Pastoralism in Transition: Factors Associated with the Diversity of Pastoral Adaptation Strategies in Burkina Faso

Background: Pastoral and agropastoral households in Burkina Faso face ecological and social pressures that may influence their adaptation strategies. Aims: To identify the factors associated with the selection of pastoral adaptation strategies to understand the diversity of observed practices and guide policies that support herders. Study Design: Cross-sectional household survey with a semi-structured questionnaire; stratified purposive sampling of households. Place and Duration of Study: 38 villages in nine communes of the Sahelian and Sudanian zones of Burkina Faso, October 2023. Methodology: Data were obtained through interviews with the heads of 125 pastoral and agropastoral households using a semi-structured questionnaire. Households could report several strategies. Associations with household status, herd composition and commune were tested with chi-square tests (Monte Carlo P values and Holm adjustment) in R 4.5.1. Results: Reduced mobility (21.3% of mentions) and destocking (20.5%) were the most frequent strategies. Nine of the 14 associations tested remained significant after adjustment. Commune was associated with all five strategies tested (P ≤ .002), herd composition with reduced mobility and herd diversification (both P < .001), and household status with herd diversification (P < .001) and sedentarization (P = .002). Displaced households used a balanced mix of strategies, native households tended towards destocking and reduced mobility, and migrant households reported a relatively even distribution of strategies. Conclusion: These associations are bivariate and were derived from a single survey, so they describe the surveyed areas at one point in time. They argue for support policies differentiated by commune, herd composition and household status rather than standardised approaches.