Town Camels: Pastoral Innovation in a fast Changing World Case Study from Gode Town, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia

By Abdi Abdullahi Hussien, Seid Mohamed Ali, and Abdurehman Eid Tahir

Because of demographic, socio-economic and political factors, Ethiopian pastoralists are settling down – triggering unprecedented growth of small towns and the creation of urban centers throughout the pastoral lands of Ethiopia. Pastoralists have had to adapt to new situations or risk being left out – without sustainable incomes. One initiative taken by ‘town pastoralists’ (is camel dairy production in and around small towns and urban centers. Contrary to their traditional beliefs, increasingly pastoralists are keeping camels nearer to towns to supply milk to growing urban markets and capitalize on increasing growth of township. This innovative effort on the part of pastoralists to sustain their livelihood has not yet been adequately tracked and documented.