Nam Wa buffalo and Lua extensive farming: seasonal forest grazing and local governance in Nan, Thailand

Article

Pastoralism 16, 16278 (2026) Open Access
Text in English

https://doi.org/10.3389/past.2026.16278

Nicolas Lainé, Associate Research Fellow at IRASEC, has published in Pastoralism : Research, Policy and Practice, a Brief Research Report, “Nam Wa buffalo and Lua extensive farming : seasonal forest grazing and local governance in Nan, Thailand,” co-authored with Suthee Janyasuthiwong, Suriyawut Ketui and Kim Fooyontphanich.
Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Nan Province, northern Thailand, the paper explores how Lua herders maintain Nam Wa buffalo through seasonal movements between rice fields and forest grazing areas, local breeding practices, and collective management of grazing lands. Authors document how buffalo traits, herders’ knowledge, ritual practices and access to shared landscapes sustain this extensive farming system, increasingly challenged by changing land use, restricted grazing areas and crop-livestock conflicts.

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Abstract

Indigenous livestock breeds persist through close interactions between animal traits, farming practices, and locally governed landscapes, particularly in upland regions where production relies on mobility and low external inputs. This study aims to document how the Nam Wa buffalo, an indigenous swamp buffalo landrace associated with Lua communities in Nan Province, northern Thailand, is maintained through seasonal grazing, farmer selection, and local governance. Based on qualitative fieldwork conducted between 2022 and 2024, including semi-structured interviews with 40 interlocutors, participant observation, and consultation with local livestock institutions, the study documents seasonal mobility between village rice fields (thung na) and forest grazing areas (pang kwai), farmer-led selection of functional traits, and collective regulation of grazing commons. Results identify Nam Wa buffalo populations across five districts of Nan Province and show that herders value agility, strong hooves, calm temperament, maternal reliability, and herd cohesion under extensive, low-input conditions. Seasonal movements are collectively coordinated, while ritual practices associated with grazing areas and buffalo care contribute to regulating access, timing, and responsibilities among herders. Locally reported decline is associated with land-use change, crop-livestock conflict, restricted grazing access, and limited circulation of breeding males. Rather than providing a genetic or demographic assessment, the study identifies socioecological conditions through which herders maintain the landrace in practice. The findings suggest that future conservation initiatives should consider seasonal mobility, local selection objectives, access to grazing mosaics, and farmer knowledge alongside genetic and productivity assessments.