As Mike explains, simple narratives can help policy-makers make sense of a complex situation, but they can go badly wrong when applied to people ‘at the margins’.

The second blog post focuses on the media in Kenya, where pastoralism is overwhelmingly portrayed in a bad light. In a survey of 100 stories about pastoralists over a 12 year period, 93% of the reports referred to conflict and drought. But away from the headlines, many journalists are aware of more positive stories.

For more on this subject, the recent book Pastoralism and Development in Africa sheds more light on the booming trade and innovation happening among pastoralists in the Horn of Africa. The book is being launched on 29 November in London – email steps-events@ids.ac.uk for more information.