Intermediary organizations shape grassland management in Tibet

A study published in the journal Pastoralism shows how two neighboring townships on the eastern Tibetan Plateau developed different pasture management systems despite following the same national policy.

The research examined Kocê Town in Gansu Province and Serlung Township in Qinghai Province. Both communities operate under the Household Responsibility System, which grants herding households land-use rights while the state retains ownership of the land. Kocê Town residents and local officials repeatedly adjusted pasture allocations over four decades.

These changes responded to surveying errors, population shifts, and the rising commercial value of caterpillar fungus. The community used lotteries and consulted religious leaders to resolve disputes, eventually deciding to distribute grassland subsidies based on current population figures rather than pasture area. This approach ensures that a child receives a share upon birth and an elderly person's share is removed upon death. In contrast, Serlung Township largely froze its initial pasture allocations.

Residents there treat the state's original demarcation as a permanent institutional constraint. Because the township links subsidies directly to the size of contracted pasture areas, the initial layout remains the primary source of stable rights. The study found that the difference between the two townships stems from the presence of intermediary organizations in Kocê. These groups, which include elderly herders, act as negotiation platforms that translate local demands and traditional customs into workable institutional arrangements.