Nutritional situation and seasonal variations for pastoralist populations of the sahel (Senegalese Ferlo)

Abstract

The nutritional status and food consumption of a population of herders in the Ferlo (Senegal) was studied during a complete seasonal cycle. The Ferlo region is in the Sahelian climatic belt where a long dry season (nine to ten months) alternates with a brief humid season (two to three months). In the existing traditional livestock production system, these climatic variations have an impact first on the living conditions of these people but also on the nutritional status of the herders. Food intakes are insufficient during the rains and one finds a deep nutritional depression during this period; whereas during the dry season, to the contrary, food intake is very good and the nutritional status definitely improves. In an average situation, there is a balance between the losses that occurred during the wet season and the gains at the beginning of the dry season. This balance is nevertheless very precarious. To insure food and nutritional security for the herders, activities must concentrate on seeking solutions that will not threaten their social organization or their lifestyle.