In the Sahel, sheep and goats cannot make full use of browse pastures. The accessibility to these pastures depends on the morphological characters of woody species. For this reason, herders intervene by cutting down branches or trees and shrubs. These practices can compromise in long-term the future of small ruminants by degrading the browse pastures. In the Sahel countries, the development of small ruminants has been neglected for the benefit of cattle livestock. The development programs to undertake for improving small ruminants should give priority to impact studies on vegetation and environmental education of herders.