Coordinating EcoAgriculture Efforts in the Maasai Steppe

Manyara Ranch is a colonial-era cattle ranch located in the northern part of Tanzania near Arusha. Following independence, the Ranch was occupied by Maasai pastoralists and their cattle, sheep, and goats. Some of these pastoralists adopted agricultural practices, growing beans and other crops vital for survival. Soon the ranch was overrun with domesticated animals and small-scale farms, using massive amounts of water and plant resources. But the Maasai were not alone on Manyara Ranch - it lay along the vital wildlife corridor between Tarangire and Manyara National Parks. Herds of wildebeest and large predators roamed the Ranch, leading to the inevitable clash of human and natural worlds.

Manyara Ranch

To address this clash, Tanzania decided to grant the Ranch to the Tanzania Land Conservation Trust with the dual mandate of restoring the area to wildlife use and benefiting local communities. Soon, grasslands regenerated and wild animals returned in droves. The Trust and its partner, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), administer Manyara Ranch as a protected area with limited cattle production uses. The concept was to find a balance between the local communities' needs and those of the wildlife roaming the corridor.

Elephants, Zebras, and other animals now wander freely throughout parts of the Ranch

But such a balance is often easier said then done. Wildlife can impact local communities inadvertently, predators can hunt cattle rather than their usual prey, and water needs can push herders further into wildlife territory. This last point is exacerbated in the area by the spread of farms, as land converted to agriculture pushes the pastoralists further to find water and grass for their livestock, and this brings them into direct competition with wild animals.

An example of damage wrought by elephants

In order to find the balance between all of these interests, one must start with engagement. As part of my work with my new employer, EcoAgriculture Partners(*), I got to see this engagement firsthand. EcoAgriculture Partners, through the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative, partnered with AWF to bring stakeholders together from conservation organizations, research institutions, non-governmental organizations, and community groups. Through participatory methods, these stakeholders assessed the state of Manyara Ranch and the entire Maasai Steppe Heartland Landscape. Based on their priorities and needs, they selected strategies to enhance each of the landscape goals of ecological conservation, agricultural production, livelihood security, and institutional strengthening.

Finding Solutions Together

This process was not the solution itself, but rather the beginning of a long journey together. There will be steps forward and steps back, but now they have shared goals rather than competing ones. It should be an interesting journey for Manyara Ranch and the greater landscape as a whole.

Up close and personal with one of Manyara Ranch's residents

(*) For more on my new job with EcoAgriculture Partners, see this post