Maasai Pastoralists Fight to Protect Land as Carbon Credit Deals Raise Dispossession Fears
Under the scorching sun of northern Tanzania Joseph Ole Parsaloi moves across the dry plains, guiding his cattle through the vast landscape. Like generations before him, he relies on the land for grazing but a new challenge threatens his way of life. Foreign backed carbon credit projects are imposing restrictions on traditional grazing sparking fears among the Maasai of land dispossession under the guise of climate action.
For thousands of Maasai pastoralists communal grazing has been the foundation of survival. However carbon offset projects, such as the Longido and Monduli Rangelands Carbon Project and The Resilient Tarangire Ecosystem Project are changing how the land is used. Supported by international investors, these initiatives aim to store carbon in the soil by enforcing control...
