Giulia Simula worked with pastoralists in Sardinia, Italy, during her doctoral research with the PASTRES programme. In this short video, she discusses what she discovered, and how this challenges assumptions about how pastoralists engage with different kinds of markets.
There are different kinds of markets available to Sardinian pastoralists. Some are more ‘artisanal’, focused on products that are made by small producers often in traditional ways, and others are more ‘industrial’. Pastoralists rely on these markets to get their products to consumers.
It’s often assumed that particular pastoralists engage only with specific markets, for example local artisanal markets. Instead, Giulia’s research found that many Sardinian pastoralists engage with different kinds of markets in flexible ways. This also helps them to navigate the uncertainties of these markets.
To explore the issues, Giulia conducted more than 100 interviews with pastoralists working at different scales. She also worked with pastoralists’ movements to understand their demands and struggles.
Find out more
During her research, Giulia asked pastoralists to contribute photographs and stories to understand their viewpoints and how they see the uncertainties they face. These have been collected as part of the online exhibition, Seeing Pastoralism.
Pastoralism, 100 ways (seeingpastoralism.org)
Pastoralism, Uncertainty and Resilience - PASTRES 