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Ethiopian farmers ditch livestock for drought-resistant crops as climate changes
Farmers in the Somali region of Ethiopia have traditionally relied on their livestock for their livelihoods. As is the case in many parts of Africa today, they are finding that climate change has started to not only limit access to sufficient quantities of water, but also reduced the availability of grazing for their animals. As temperatures rise and rain levels fluctuate or fall, less grass is growing. Several successive droughts in recent years have killed tens of thousands of cows, goats and sheep, forcing many to reconsider their identity as herders -- as a matter of survival. With support from international aid organizations, including the U.N. World Food Program, some ethnic Somali farmers in Ethiopia have been able to transition from cattle herding to crop growing in areas near their homes that - without outside help and funding - might still be desert. Community farming efforts have helped villagers feed the animals that have survived, grow new plants in greater quantities, and earn extra cash at local markets that in turn helps improve living standards. But inconsistent rainfall and flooding still threatens the success of these adaptation projects -- but not nearly so much as the loss of substantial American funding.
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