Pastoralism contributes predominantly to the economy and ecology of arid and semi-arid areas, which cover more than 40% of the world's land mass. The pastoral activity practiced by livestock societies on a wide variety of environments and species contribute notably to local ecology, food security and livelihoods of millions of rural people. 

In Eastern and Western Africa, in the Sahelo-Sudanian countries, pastoral breeding is very often a first-rate economic value (40 to 60% of agricultural GDP). It is a factor of intense cross-border trade. Hower, the agro-ecological, economic and cultural "wealth" of pastoralism and its societies is confronted with the fragility of natural resources and competition over access to resources. The current context of change generates renewed economic, political, social and environmental challenges for all stakeholders.

Institutional and agro-ecological changes such as population growth, climate change, globalization of markets, changes in demand for animal products, decentralization of governance, as well as security issues, are disrupting the frameworks traditionally operated by pastoral societies.

The originality of P2CG lies in the broad and ecosystemic approach of pastoralism that includes both resources, animals and practices that humans and pastoral societies implement daily in confronting the realities of change. These societies are waiting for prospective visions regarding adaptations to be conducted. With particular emphasis on scientific communities and actors interacting in pastoral and coastal areas in both East and West Africa, the Colloquium will focus on sharing on:

• the current pastoral dynamics and prospects in sub-Saharan Africa;
• the state of knowledge, knowledge, shared representations on pastoralism in the face of socio-economic, ecological and climatic issues;
• the existing and future methods and tools for improving the support and management of pastoral systems;
• the current arrangements and needs for knowledge transfer in pastoralism. 

The P2CG symposium "Pastoralism in the course of global change" aims to:

- Situate the major mutations faced by livestock, breeders and systems, in the plurality of perceptions of operational, institutional or scientific actors

- Clarify the challenges, obstacles and opportunities that pastoralism encounters,

- Assess the stakes for the future in terms of:

• contribution to the economy and food in the emergence of concerns such as agro-ecology, globalisation, poverty alleviation and security;
• adaptation to climate change and mitigation of climate effects;
• resilience to vulnerability, poverty and risk
• technical and organisational innovations;
• ecosystemic contribution to the production of services;
• support by public policies,

- Explore jointly the alternatives around which breeders, research, public organizations and policy makers could guide their future actions.

In aims to promote the emergence in Africa of a genuine network of information exchange, training and partnership between civil society and the regional and international scientific communities involved in teaching and development through research on pastoralism, the PPZS (http://www.ppzs.org/ ) organize, As part of its activities, this international science-society colloquium on the theme:

"Pastoralism in the current of global changes: stakes, challenges and prospects"

The Pastoralism and Drylands Partnership Platform PPZS is a joint R&D initiative associating researchers and teachers from the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA), of the University Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), the Ecological Monitoring Centre (CSE), and the Centre for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD).

Welcome to all !

Do not delay in finalizing your registration which materializes your access to the inaugural session at the cocktail party, the conference sessions, the P2CG Book of Abstracts and meals.