Land, Investment, and Migration : Thirty-five Years of Village Life in Mali

How do people survive and thrive in the uncertain and risk-prone Sahel? This long-term study portrays the people of Dlonguébougou in Central Mali, to show how they have adapted to change over the last 35 years, shaping new strategies and finding new sources of cash. Drawing on my 2 years in the village in 1980–1982, published in Cattle, Women, and Wells: Managing Household Survival in the Sahel (OUP 1992), I have revisited the people to explore the village economy and society today. A tripling in population, unpredictable rainfall, and the arrival of the Chinese have forced people into new ways of both making ends meet and building up wealth—some are doing much better than others. Using a combination of infographics, satellite images, interviews, and survey data, my research presents the different strategies and fortunes of individuals and their families, the search for new cash incomes, the shift of people from village to town, and the erosion of collective solidarity at household and village levels. Overall, people’s fortunes have been mixed. Many people acknowledge they have become financially better off, but they are no longer so rooted in the life and landscape of millet farming, which had structured household relationships and village society. Land has become much scarcer, and the villagers can no longer exert much power over the wider society and environment. In eight chapters, Land, Investment, and Migration is written in an engaging style, with plenty of illustrations and material from interviews. How do people survive and thrive in the uncertain and risk-prone Sahel? Land, Investment, and Migration seeks to answer this question through a long-term study of the people of Dlonguebougou in Central Mali. It uses a combination of infographics, satellite images, interviews, and survey data to present the strategies and fortunes of individuals and their families in this region over 35 years. In the early 1980s Camilla Toulmin spent two years in Dlonguebougou. She has since revisited to explore how climate change, population growth, new technologies, and land-grabs have been affecting the livelihoods and prospects of local people since. Land, Investment, and Migration: Thirty-five Years of Village Life in Mali brings together her findings. A trebling in population, unpredictable rainfall, and the arrival of Chinese investment have forced people into new ways of making ends meet and building up wealth - some doing much better than others. This book presents the search for new cash incomes, the shift of people from village to town, and the erosion of collective solidarity at household and village levels. Land, Investment, and Migration presents a mixed picture of a changing society. It shows the vibrancy of the village economy, rapid uptake of mobile phones and solar panels, and increased migration. It also shows the persistence of large family structures which offer some protection from the risks that many villagers face. How do people survive and thrive in the uncertain and risk-prone Sahel? Land, Investment, and Migration seeks to answer this question through a long-term study of the people of Dlonguébougou in Central Mali. It uses a combination of infographics, satellite images, interviews, and survey data to present the strategies and fortunes of individuals and their families in this region over 35 years. In the early 1980s Camilla Toulmin spent two years in Dlonguébougou. She has since revisited to explore how climate change, population growth, new technologies, and land-grabs have been affecting the livelihoods and prospects of local people since. Land, Investment, and Migration: Thirty-five Years of Village Life in Mali brings together her findings. A trebling in population, unpredictable rainfall, and the arrival of Chinese investment have forced people into new ways of making ends meet and building up wealth - some doing much better than others. This book presents the search for new cash incomes, the shift of people from village to town, and the erosion of collective solidarity at household and village levels. Land, Investment, and Migration presents a mixed picture of a changing society. It shows the vibrancy of the village economy, rapid uptake of mobile phones and solar panels, and increased migration. It also shows the persistence of large family structures which offer some protection from the risks that many villagers face. How do people survive and thrive in the uncertain and risk-prone Sahel? Land, Investment, and Migration seeks to answer this question through a long-term study of the people of Dlonguebougou in Central Mali. It uses a combination of infographics, satellite images, interviews, and survey data to present the strategies and fortunes of individuals and their families in this region over 35 years.0In the early 1980s Camilla Toulmin spent two years in Dlonguebougou. She has since revisited to explore how climate change, population growth, new technologies, and land-grabs have been affecting the livelihoods and prospects of local people since. Land, Investment, and Migration: Thirty-five Years of Village Life in Mali brings together her findings. A trebling in population, unpredictable rainfall, and the arrival of Chinese investment have forced people into new ways of making ends meet and building up wealth - some doing much better than others. This book presents the search for new cash incomes, the shift of people from village to town, and the erosion of collective solidarity at household and village levels.0Land, Investment, and Migration presents a mixed picture of a changing society. It shows the vibrancy of the village economy, rapid uptake of mobile phones and solar panels, and increased migration. It also shows the persistence of large family structures which offer some protection from the risks that many villagers face Preface 6 Acknowledgements 12 Contents 18 List of Figures 20 List of Tables 24 List of Boxes 26 Figures 28 1. Introduction to Dlonguébougou 44 2. History of Dlonguébougou and the wider region 72 3. The farming landscape: Soils, rainfall, and crops 93 4. From abundance to land scarcity 126 5. People and domestic organization 150 6. Investment and prosperity 179 7. Leaving the village on migration 216 8. Facing an uncertain future 241 Glossary of Bambara terms 276 References 278 Index 288 This Volume Describes Village Life In The Drylands Of Central Mali, West Africa, And How It Has Changed Over 35 Years. It Explores How Climate Change, Population Growth, New Technologies, And Land-grabs Can Affect The Livelihoods Of Village Society.