In cultural anthropology, what does pastoralism primarily involve?

Pastoralism primarily involves the nomadic herding of livestock as a way of life. This practice emerges in environments where traditional agriculture may be challenging due to factors like climate or geography. Pastoralists depend on the domestication and management of various animals—such as cattle, sheep, goats, or camels—for their subsistence, often relying on these herds for food, clothing, and shelter.

This lifestyle requires a significant degree of mobility, as herders move their livestock to find fresh pastures and water, thus adapting their practices in response to seasonal changes. Often, pastoralists also engage in trade, exchanging animal products for agricultural goods and other necessities, further integrating them into broader economic systems.

Other methods of subsistence, such as settled crop farming, gathering wild plants and hunting, or technologically advanced agricultural practices, represent different strategies completely. Settled crop farming involves permanently cultivating land, while gathering and hunting focus on wild resources. Technologically advanced agricultural practices encompass intensive farming methods that often involve machinery and chemical inputs, contrasting sharply with the extensive, resource-dependent nature of pastoralism.