Pastoral livelihoods depend substantially on animals such as sheep, goats, cattle or camels. People may obtain food, materials or income from their herds, often combining this with other activities. In some systems, moving animals between grazing areas is an important response to seasonal conditions.
Pastoralism does not mean that every herding community moves in the same way or owns land and animals under the same rules. Understanding a particular system means asking about water, grazing, movement and the social arrangements that make access possible.