Collective action for grazing land management in crop-livestock mixed systems in the highlands of northern Ethiopia

Communal grazing lands are important sources of livestock feed in developing countries. The uncontrolled and free grazing system in many of these countries has caused severe degradation of these resources. This paper examines the nature and determinants of collective action for grazing land management in the highlands of Tigray, northern Ethiopia. We find that community grazing land management contributes to more sustainable use of the resource and alleviation of feed shortage. Most collective action is locally initiated and is organized at village level. Collective action for grazing land management may be more beneficial and more effective in areas with intermediate population, higher social capital, and lower heterogeneity in oxen ownership that are far from market places. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.