Cereal Flows and Social Capacity in a Pastoral Region: Glimpses from Dollo Ado, Somali Region, Ethiopia

Abstract: This thesis investigates how social relations influence cereal flows between pastoral households and between pastoralists and traders in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia. By examining this case through a narrative approach, I clarify how cereal exchanges are embedded in social capacity. Through interviews and focus groups with pastoral and agropastoral households and interviews with cereal traders, I present six narrative glimpses into the lives of people living in Dollo Ado that demonstrate bridging and bonding capacity, which are characterized by reciprocity and trust. This thesis challenges the assumption that households living in pastoral areas are victims of their environment and argues that development actors in the region need to acknowledge the agency and capacities of pastoralists, agropastoralists and traders.