ABSTRACT
The Turkmenistan government has followed a cautious approach to reforms, very gradually relinquishing control and frequently reformulating policies. The reform process in the livestock sector has substantially changed the economic relationship between producers – the shepherds – and the state. Livestock management systems have had to be adjusted in the wake of each new policy, with consequences that are still unfolding. This chapter documents some of the impacts of policy changes between 1997 and 1999 on the livelihoods of shepherds, their methods of livestock husbandry and systems of land use.
