Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan

Consultations on camels and biocultural protocols

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:55:00 +0000

LPPS is co-organizing two meetings in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India, on 24 and 25 February 2010 to discuss the future of livestock keepers.

National Consultation for Saving the Camel, 24 February

Organized by Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan and the Jaisalmer Camel Development Society. Government, private enterprise, NGOs, scientists, camel lovers and all who feel concerned are cordially invtied to discussions, brainstorming, camel competitions and camel product demonstrations.
More details

Biocultural Community Protocols for Livestock Keepers, 25 February

Biocultural protocols are a new method of documenting livestock keepers' contribution to maintaining breeds and conserving the environment. Organized by LIFE Network India, the Rain-fed Livestock Network, and Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan, this meeting is an opportunity to share experiences with the development of biocultural protocols, identify the potential and pitfalls, and better understand their implications for local livestock keepers.
More details

Raika publish details of their breeds and indigenous knowledge

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:54:00 +0000

Raika Samaj Panchayat. 2009. Raika biocultural protocol. Lokhit Pashu Palak Sansthan, Sadri, Rajasthan, India.

This declaration by the Raika pastoralists of Rajasthan, India, details the livestock breeds they have developed, their traditional knowledge about their animals, and their lifestyle in relation to their environment.

A biocultural protocol is a new way for livestock keepers to assert their claim to the breeds they have developed, as well as to traditional rights and intellectual property associated with their animals.

Download (1.6 Mb)

LPPS-DRYNET newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Namitha) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:40:00 +0000

The latest edition of the LPPS-DRYNET newsletter (January 2009) can be viewed here (pdf file). This issue includes a note on South African livestock breeds and their conservation, an article on the community perceptions of the deterioration of Banni grasslands of Gujarat, and a feature on the Banni animal fair held last year.

Paper from camel dung launched by LPPS at Pushkar Fair

noreply@blogger.com (Namitha) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:08:00 +0000

LPPS Director Hanwant Singh Rathore shows off the new camel-dung paper at the Pushkar Fair

After LPPS's camel milk ice-cream that has featured at the Pushkar Fair over the past two years, the fair was again the site of the launch of a unique product made from a camel by-product--handmade paper produced from the dung of camels!

A variety of paper products like notebooks, diaries and greeting cards were up for sale at the fair, and were bought eagerly by the visitors to the fair. First reactions varied from amazement to amusement, naturally. Paper from dung...unbelievable!

Scatalogical expressions and jokes apart, yes, it is true. Camel dung contains some undigested fibre which can be converted into paper which is both ecologically friendly and a novelty for the public. The waste product from the process is also a good fertilizer for agricultural fields.

According to the Director of LPPS, Hanwant Singh Rathore, this new product illustrates the myriad ways in which the camel-keeping can benefit the ecosystem, and also opens up another option for increasing the income of camel pastoralists like the Raika who have been associated with camel rearing in Rajasthan for centuries. This also falls in line with the LPPS mission of encouraging sustainable livelihoods for pastoralists in order to continue with their profession of camel rearing, despite difficult circumstances.

Tourists and locals flocked to the LPPS stand to taste the ice cream and buy paper

Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS) has teamed up with Mahima Mehra of Haathi Chaap for the production of this hand-made paper from camel dung. Having been involved in the production of paper from the dung of elephants from Amber Fort in Jaipur for the past five years, Ms. Mehra was gung-ho about turning her attention to an animal species that is synonymous with Rajasthan, a state which also has a history of hand-made paper making.

Read an interview with Ms. Mahima Mehra here.

For more details on the product range and other details, contact Hanwant Singh at lpps@sify.com

Mauritania camel dairy pioneer tells of challenges

noreply@blogger.com (Namitha) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:05:00 +0000

When Nancy Abeiderrahmane arrived in Mauritania in 1970, she was surprised to find that the country relied on imported milk products despite its large population of livestock. Realizing that dairying could make a big difference to the lives of people in this arid country in northwest Africa, the engineering graduate designed and built a small dairy plant in Nouakchott in 1989 to process camel milk.

The Tiviski Dairy, of which she is CEO, now buys camel, cow and goat milk from over 1000 semi-nomadic families and processes them into a range of products including pasteurized milk, ice cream, yoghurt, lassi, butter, and camel milk cheese.

The unique biochemistry of camel milk renders it difficult to process into products like cheese, so her efforts were path-breaking and an inspiration to others. Ms Abeiderrahmane is a recipient of the 1993 Rolex Award for Enterprise for her work in Mauritania.

At a workshop organized by Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan on The Camel in Rajasthan: From Heirloom to Unique Selling Point in April 2008, Ms Abeiderrahmane told the audience about the potential, problems and rewards of running a camel dairy in Mauritania.

LPPS's Namitha Dipak interviewed her about the Tiviski Dairy. Click here to read more (pdf file).

Camel milk more valuable than oil

noreply@blogger.com (Namitha) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:30:00 +0000

Chattar Singh is a pioneer of marketing camel milk in Rajasthan

Rajasthan's Thar Desert is sitting upon a major unexploited treasure that is waiting to be mined.

But unlike other resources, this treasure in India's arid western state never needs to be depleted.

At the international seminar, The Camel in Rajasthan: From Heirloom to Unique Selling Point, hosted by LPPS in Jaipur on 7-8 April 2008, camel expert Dr Uli Wernery from Dubai described camel milk as more valuable than oil.

He emphasized the enormous health benefits of drinking camel milk - for which consumers in developed countries are ready to pay a premium - and predicted that in the event of global warming, cows may stop producing milk and camels become the only source of milk.

Dr Wernery told of the thousand female camels that the ruler of Dubai has purchased to supply camel milk to supermarkets in the Emirates. The milk is so popular that it is difficult to keep the product on the shelves.

That camel milk can provide good income to both camel breeders and entrepreneurs was testified by Nancy Abeiderahmane from Mauritania, a drought-stricken country in northwest Africa. Mauritania has many similarities to Rajasthan, but is much less developed. She described how she had started Africa's first camel dairy with 200 litres of camel milk in 1989, and how her Tiviski Dairy now had a daily turnover of between 10,000 and 20,000 litres of milk, including from cows and goats.

In Rajasthan, interest in camel milk as a marketable good has grown only slowly, although path-breaking research on the beneficial effects of camel milk on diabetes patients has been conducted by Dr RP Agrawal from the Medical College at Bikaner.

In 2007, LPPS initiated the marketing of camel milk to diabetes patients in Jaisalmer, besides pioneering camel milk ice cream.

And just a few weeks ago, the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation launched packaged camel milk, but presently the infrastructure, such as chilling tanks and pasteurizers, necessary for marketing camel milk on a larger scale and keeping up a regular supply are not yet in place.

According to LPPS director, Hanwant Singh, there are 15,000 adult female camels in Jaisalmer district alone, but so far only one herd is milked, due to lack of collection, processing and marketing provisions.

Setting up the dairying structures for camels would certainly contribute to stopping the major decline of Rajasthan's camel population over the last decades. Such a move would benefit both camels and their keepers, according to Dr DK Sadana of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources. Dr Sadana informed about global efforts led by FAO to save indigenous breeds through value addition and niche-marketing of their products. India is part of these efforts, he said.

Tourism experts pointed out that visitors to Rajasthan are often more fascinated by a passing camel herd than by any of the famous forts and havelis. However, such sights are becoming increasingly rare as former camel grazing areas are appropriated for other uses by farmers, foresters, the army, urban sprawl, and even wind farms, as was narrated by the camel breeders who had turned out at the conference in large numbers.

The participants of the conference strongly supported the establishment of camel sanctuaries at several locations in the state, in which camels would be assured of a place to graze on the indigenous drought-resistant vegetation.

Another proposition that everybody agreed upon was to declare the camel as the state animal of Rajasthan - a move that would certainly generate much international attention and enhance Rajasthan's reputation as a tourist destination.

The enthusiasm of the participants of the conference for reviving the "ship of the desert" in a new economic avatar was palpable. However, camel breeders and entrepreneurs cannot do it on their own - they also need a supportive policy environment. If the Rajasthan government declare camel sanctuaries, it would not only strengthen the livelihoods of many rural poor in the Thar Desert. It would also contribute to implementing many environmental commitments, such as under the UN conventions on combating desertification and on biological diversity.

Pastoralists to seek recognition as stewards of biodiversity during CBD

noreply@blogger.com (Namitha) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:11:00 +0000

The Conference of Parties (COP 9) of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity will held in Bonn, Germany, from 19 to 23 May 2008.

Article 10c of the Convention commits signatory countries to protect and encourage customary use of biological resources in accordance with traditional cultural practices that are compatible with conservation and sustainable use requirements.

Many traditional pastoralist communities would qualify for support from their governments. Alas, in reality, they are generally ignored or scorned upon by policy makers. During the COP 9, the parties will discuss progress in the implementation of the convention.

Three members of LPPS will use this opportunity to lobby for an official acknowledgment of the role of pastoralists in conserving various aspects of biodiversity, including those of domestic animals, certain wild plants and animals, as well as landscapes.

LPPS and its German partner, the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development, have gained allies among German shepherds who often get paid to graze their sheep on certain land, so maintaining the biodiversity there.

Another strong supporter is the LIFE Network for community-based conservation of animal genetic resources.

View the report on LPPS's interaction with European pastoralists in September 2007.

From heirloom to unique selling point

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:23:00 +0000

An international seminar on The Camel in Rajasthan: From Heirloom to Unique Selling Point will be held in Jaipur on 7-8 April 2008.

International and Indian camel experts and Rajasthan camel breeders will discuss ways to promote camel husbandry in Rajasthan.

The seminar will address two themes: developing the dairy potential of camels, and a strategy for making Rajasthan camel-friendly.

The seminar will take place at the Hotel Jai Mahal, Ajmer Road, Jaipur. It is organized by Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS) with support from the Ford Foundation.

More information

LPPS head office: tel. 02934-285086, mobile 9414818564, email lpps@sify.com

Jaisalmer office: tel. 02992-250652, 254452, email camelherds@yahoo.co.in

Drynet newletter published

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:22:00 +0000

The first issue of News from Drynet contains two articles by LPPS.

In one, LPPS's Namitha Dipak interviews Dr Mannava VK Sivakumar, Chief of the Agrometeorology Division of the World Meteorological Organisation. Dr Sivakumar stressed the need for effective extension services to advise farmers about weather forecasts, and to develop local efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Another article features a visit by a Raika delegation to Europe, where they pressed for recognition of the role of pastoralists in developing and conserving livestock breeds at international conferences in Switzerland and Spain. The delegation also visited a goat dairy and organic farm in Germany and a sheep-rearing area high in the Alps of Switzerland.

A further article in the newsletter, by Ilse Koehler-Rollefson of LPPS partner organization the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development, stresses the need to reward pastoralists for their environmental services.

"Scientific programmes to increase drought resistance of organisms are funded with millions of dollars," says Ilse. "Yet the day-to-day efforts of pastoralists to keep and develop animals under drought conditions and thereby sustain crucial gene pools – that will prove priceless during climate change - remain entirely unrewarded."

The Drynet project, funded by the European Union, involves 14 partner organizations around the world. LPPS is responsible for producing a regional edition of the newsletter for South Asia.

Download newsletter 1.2 Mb

Rajasthan Chief Minister commits to camels

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:53:00 +0000

LPP's Ilse Koehler-Rollefson (right) discusses with Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje

Vasundhra Raje promises support for camels

Thousands of Raika commemorated the death of Bhopala Ram Raika

11 January 2008 was the first death anniversary of Bhopala Ram Raika, a famous leader of the Raika camel pastoralists of Rajasthan. Thousands of Raika gathered to mark the event, with Vasundhra Raje, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, as guest of honour.

Ilse Koehler-Rollefson of the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development, and Hanwant Singh, director of Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan, also attended.

Ilse was invited to give a speech to the political dignitaries and a crowd of Raika estimated at 5000-7000 people. She recalled that Bhopala Ram Raika had introduced her to the Raika community in 1992, laying the foundation of LPP's and LPPS's work in Rajasthan. LPP later invited him to an international meeting in Tanzania and a tour of a camel farm and dairy in Kenya.

Hanwant and Ilse had the opportunity to meet the chief minister and brief her about the needs of camel pastoralists in the state.

During her speech, the Chief Minister held up a copy of a Drynet newsletter with an article about a visit by a Raika delegation to Switzerland and Spain. Their visit had been arranged by LPP and LPPS as part of efforts to promote the rights of livestock keepers. The newsletter is part of LPPS's contribution to the European Union-funded Drynet project, a worldwide initiative to combat land degradation.

"This is how far the Raika can go", she said, promising support for camels, which are iconic animals in Rajasthan.

The following day, the Rajasthan Patrika newspaper carried a special article in Hindi about the state government's commitment to save the camel.

More information

Not shipshape

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 10:03:00 +0000

"For the camel breeders from Jojawar, this year's trek to the Pushkar fair with their young camels could be their last one," says an article in the Indian magazine Tehelka.

"However, there is hope", continues the article by Ilse Koehler-Rollefson of LPPS's partner, the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development. The article describes an LPPS project to revive camel husbandry by promoting value-added camel products such as milk and ice cream.

"Camel milk ice cream sold like hot cakes at the Pushkar Fair, proving popular with both Indians and foreign tourists," the article quotes LPPS director Hanwant Singh Rathore.

Camel numbers in parts of Rajasthan have stabilized after decline, says Ilse. The rising price of fuel may have something to do with this: French research has found that farmers are now buying camels instead of tractors for ploughing and transport.

The article appeared in the 22 December 2007 issue of Tehelka.

Download full article 88 kb

Report of Raika delegation to Interlaken conference

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:11:00 +0000

A visit by a delegation of Raika pastoralists to Switzerland in September 2007 features prominently in a report by an LPPS partner.

The report, "Advocating livestock keepers' rights" details the work of the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development for the International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources at Interlaken, Switzerland in September 2007.

Download report 255 kb

Camel kisses BBC comedian

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:18:00 +0000

Sanjeev Bhaskar, host of the BBC television programme The Kumars at No. 42, featured Rajasthan on his BBC2 travel documentary series "India with Sanjeev Bhaskar".

During his visit to the state, Mr Bhaskar met the Maharajah of Jodhpur, along with LPPS director Hanwant Singh and Ilse Koehler-Rollefson of LPPS partner the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development. Part 4 of the film series is entitled "A camel called Sanjeev". The camel was born during Mr Bhaskar's visit to the herd of Adoji Raika, a respected Rajasthani camel pastoralist, and was named in Mr Bhaskar's honour.

The picture on the left shows Kotar, Ilse's camel, greeting Mr Bhaskar. Click on the picture for a closer view (photo courtesy of the BBC).

Hanwant, Ilse, Kotar and camel milk (a product promoted by LPPS) all feature prominently in the documentary.

The programme has been broadcast in Britain and several times in India.

Keepers of Genes film available

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:07:00 +0000

Keepers of Genes, a 28-minute documentary produced by award-winning filmmaker Moving Images, documents the role played by pastoralists in preserving animal biodiversity and the key issues confronting them today.

The film features LPPS's work with Raika pastoralists in Rajasthan.

It accompanies a 2007 book, Keepers of genes: The interdependence between pastoralists, breeds, access to the commons, and livelihoods, by Ilse Koehler-Rollefson and the LIFE Network.

Order copies of the film and book from the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development, or the film from Moving Images

Magical and majestic

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:22:00 +0000

"Standing in the middle of a camel herd is pure magic... You can walk right up to a camel of your choice, and it will probably stretch out its neck to say hello. If you are brave enough to hold still, it is likely to give your face an inquisitive nuzzle, sniff your hair, and may be give you a little facial massage like it would a fellow camel..."

On 2 December 2007, The Hindu newspaper's Sunday magazine carried a 1100-word article by Ilse Koehler-Rollefson on the Raika and their camels - and the problems they face in finding enough grazing for their animals.

"Since the time of the Maharajahs, the Raika have had the right to graze in the Aravalli Hills," says the article.

"In the 1970s, a significant part of this grazing area was gazetted as the Kumbalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary. Certain areas ('enclosures') were officially prohibited from grazing for seven years. But the enclosures were not opened after the prescribed period and the Raikas were allowed access only against payment of bribes."

The Raika and LPPS have taken this issue to the Rajasthan government and Supreme Court, but the case still has not been resolved.

"The camel is an icon of Rajasthan, and the government makes liberal use of the associated culture to lure tourists," says the article, "but it pays no attention to this issue."

Read the complete article here.

Raika campaign covered by The Hindu newspaper

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:20:00 +0000

A major Indian daily has reported on the Raika delegation's lobbying visit to Europe in favour of livestock keepers' rights.

"A delegation of 'Raikas' (camel breeders) from Rajasthan who visited Europe recently to meet fellow pastoralists and share traditional wisdom on livestock keeping, have returned after successfully convincing the decision-makers at global forums of the need to preserve livestock bio-diversity and indigenous production systems", reported The Hindu on 17 November 2007.

"Attending a series of high-level meetings in Europe, they advocated the rights of herding communities and sought recognition for their role in bio-diversity conservation," said The Hindu.

Full report in The Hindu.

Traditional dryland experts project their knowledge abroad

noreply@blogger.com (Namitha) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 08:58:00 +0000

Tola Ram Bhil performs in Europe

The hills were alive with a different kind of music - the Raika in Switzerland

Meeting a Swiss shepherdess on the mountain trail

The Raika with Spanish sheep herds in a rally through the streets of Madrid

Nomadic pastoralists use drylands in a sustainable and "natural" manner. That is well supported by ecological studies. Keeping animals on the move means they can use seasonal resources and protects vegetation from overgrazing.

In drought-prone Rajasthan, mobile livestock keeping is a traditional way to use the land - though government policies are not kind to this way of life.

Recently a group of Raika - a prominent pastoralist group in Rajasthan - had the chance to project their traditional knowledge in managing livestock in dry areas to an international audience in three European countries.

Composed of Rama Ram, Dailibai, and Mangi Lal Raika, all from Pali District, the delegation was headed by Hanwant Singh, director of Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan. The Raikas were accompanied by Tola Ram Bhil, a musician and bard from Jodhpur.

The mission created quite a buzz wherever they went. The purpose of the tour was to raise awareness about the pressures on the pastoralist way of life and the crucial role of pastoralists in managing livestock biodiversity.

The tour was arranged by the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development with support from the Christensen Fund.

The first stop on the tour was at the headquarters of the League, in the small village of Wembach in Germany. Here the group was surprised to learn that the local shepherd was employed in nature conservation: he used his sheep to maintain the biodiversity of rich patches of land in a government-sponsored programme.

The Raika also visited a goat dairy and an organic farm, besides enthralling local media with their trademark red turbans and Tola Ram's spell-binding music, relating how the first camels were brought to Rajasthan about 700 years ago.

The next destination was Switzerland, where the delegation participated in the First International Conference on Animal Genetic Resources and joined other pastoralists in the Animal Diversity Forum, a parallel NGO event that was co-organised by the LIFE Network for community-based management of animal genetic resources and other NGOs. An excursion took them high up into the Alpine meadows where they exchanged experiences with a young woman goat herder who spends the summers in total isolation in the mountain pastures, processing the goat milk into cheese.

The final leg of the trip was to Spain to attend a Global Gathering of Pastoralists organised by the Spanish shepherd association. In Spain too, there is recognition of the value of pastoralism for biodiversity conservation, and the century-old system of transhumance between the coastal lowlands and the central plateau has been revived. Traditional passageways for sheep, hundreds of feet wide, are once again being used. The right of shepherds to drive their herds through the centre of Madrid has also been re-established, and is occasion for a big annual festival.

This year, the Spanish sheep herds were joined by the over 200 pastoralists in their rally through Madrid. The rally ended on the Plaza Mayor in front of the city administration. Dozens of journalists were waiting to get quotes and sound bites from the pastoralists.

The Raika rounded off their eventful trip with a side-event at a meeting of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, where they organised a side-event on "The Role of Pastoralists in Conserving Biodiversity", showing the Film “Keepers of Genes. India’s Pastoralists and their Breeds”.

The Raika were not only excellent ambassadors for their home country, but brought back many lasting impressions. According to Rama Ram, the most useful learning was how highly valued pastoralism is in Europe as a tool for nature conservation and a source of specialty products.

Raika campaign for rights hits international media

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:25:00 +0000

Raika herders (photo: San Francisco Chronicle / Zackary Canepari)

A visit by a delegation of Raika pastoralists to an international conference in Switzerland has attracted worldwide media coverage.

The four Raika delegates attended the Interlaken conference on animal genetic resources in September 2007. Their visit highlighted threats to their livelihood caused by the loss of grazing lands and other rights.

Articles in the San Francisco Chronicle in the USA, and the Tageszeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine and Darmstädter Echo newspapers in Germany focused on the life of the herders and the loss of grazing lands to crop cultivation, industry and forest conservation.

"This is definitely a very serious problem," K.M.L. Pathak, director of the National Research Center on Camels in Rajasthan is quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle. "The grazing area is shrinking day by day."

"If the government doesn't open up this forest, then we and our camels are finished," the same paper quotes herder Bhawerlal Raika.

"His rights to the grazing lands, as well as the routes that take him there, are sealed in tradition rather than in legal documents, making him a bystander as the most important asset of his centuries-old culture vanishes," says the Chronicle.

Rajasthani herders to campaign for their rights at international summits

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 11:43:00 +0000

A group of Raika herders from Rajasthan, India, will be leaving on 26th August for Europe to speak up about their rights at a series of international gatherings dealing with issues crucial to the continuation of their traditional livelihoods. The Raika are the nomadic camel and sheep breeders of Rajasthan who are famous for having created some of the country’s best livestock breeds, but whose future is on the brink, as their traditional pastures are dwindling away. The government has been given preference to irrigation agriculture, and is now in the process of allotting so-called wastelands – that actually represent customary grazing areas – for bio-diesel cultivation.

From 1-7 September, the delegation will attend the First International Conference on Animal Genetic Resources in Interlaken (Switzerland), together with more than 200 government delegates from around the world. This conference has been convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to discuss strategies for countering the dramatic rate of extinction of farm animal breeds that is regarded as a threat to future food security. The reason for this trend, among others, is that industrialized livestock farming systems are expanding while the farmers and herders that keep locally adapted breeds are being squeezed out.

The goal of the Raika and other representatives of herding cultures is to convince the governments that they should be given an official role in efforts to conserve animal genetic resources. They emphasize that many breeds will only survive, if they themselves are given grazing rights and are lobbying for reference to Livestock Keepers’ Rights in the official documents of the meeting. Livestock Keepers Rights are a bundle of rights or principles that would ensure that traditional livestock keepers can continue to make a living from their animals and thereby sustain the diverse breeds that compose biodiversity and are considered essential for long-term human food security. While African countries have strongly supported inclusion of Livestock Keepers Rights, other countries have not taken up the issue, and the term remains "bracketed" (subject to further discussion).

From 8-12 September, the Raika will attend an International Gathering of Nomads and Pastoralists held near Segovia in Spain. They will also participate in a meeting convened in Madrid by the governments that have signed the United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD) to emphasize that pastoralism (or herding) makes an important contribution to conserving biodiversity in drylands. While scientists have accumulated evidence for the positive interlinkage between grazing and biodiversity, the UNCCD has not yet acknowledged this connection.

The group composed of Mangilal Raika, Ramu Ram Raika and Srimati Daili Devi Raika will be accompanied by Tola Ram Bhil, a Bhopa (traditional musician) who is specialized in performing the story of how their ancestor, Harmel Ram Raika, brought the first female camels to Rajasthan. The tour is facilitated by the NGO Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan, whose director, Hanwant Singh Rathore will act as translator for the group.

On the way to Switzerland, the group will spend time in Germany at the invitation of the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development, an organization that is supporting pastoralists and other marginalized livestock keepers throughout the world through training and advocacy for favourable policy frameworks. In Germany, the Raika will interact with local sheep and cattle herders and learn from them about the use of herding animals in nature conservation. In many countries in Europe, grazing with sheep and other species is used to conserve certain cultural landscapes as well as types of plants, and therefore supported by the government.

Contacts

Hanwant Singh Rathore, Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (India), www.lpps.org, mobile +94-148-18564; phone +94-2934-285086

Ilse Koehler-Rollefson, League for Pastoral Peoples (Germany), www.pastoralpeoples.org, +49-6154-53642, ilse@pastoralpeoples.org

This text in Word format

LPPS joins initiative on desertification and drylands

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 08:31:00 +0000

June 17th, the United Nations World Day to Combat Desertification, is the day that 14 organizations from around the world are launching a joint initiative called Drynet. LPPS is the partner organisation of this project in India.

Drynet is concerned with:

Desertification, drylands and land degradation,
Communities living in affected areas and their coping strategies, as well as
Efforts to combat desertification and land degradation due to unsustainable practices and climate change.

This European Union-funded project aims to strengthen civil society networks, such as farmers' collectives, indigenous groups, women's organisations, trade unions and non-governmental organisations with knowledge and visibility to influence dryland development policies in affected countries.

Other partner organisations are from Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Mauritania, South Africa, Senegal, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, France and Germany. BothEnds, an organisation based in the Netherlands, coordinates the project.

Globally, close to one billion people directly depend upon drylands. Climate changes and unsustainable use are causing land to degrade faster than ever. Drylands constitute about 67% (223 million ha) of India's area, and degradation and desertification affect nearly one-third of this. Communities in developing countries often bear the heaviest cost of these problems.

Yet it is possible to make a difference. Local organisations and individuals in many parts of the world have developed ways to adapt to or mitigate the effects the desertification. Such successes need to be brought to the attention of policy makers and other stakeholders.

As part of Drynet, LPPS will publicise work by civil society organisations in India, highlight good practices and innovations, and share experiences with agencies elsewhere. The Drynet website (www.dry-net.org) will provide text and multimedia content such as radio programmes.

What you can do

If you work with a civil society organisation working in regions affected by land degradation or dryland areas in India, please write in with details of your organisation, field of expertise, as well as innovative practices or success stories you know of. Write to us at lpps@sify.com for details on how to provide this information.
For more information about the Drynet project and its objectives, write to lpps@sify.com
Read about LPPS's efforts to revive camel rearing through our pilot camel milk project.
Read about the unique Camel Yatra (pilgrimage) that LPPS embarked upon to collect information about the dwindling camel populations and the problems faced by their rearers.

Full press release 37 kb

Organising around breeds pays dividends

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:24:00 +0000

Pastoralists present a statement to Dr DK Sadana, Director of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources

Lobbying by LIFE-Network India, an alliance of NGOs (including LPPS) and pastoralist groups, is beginning to bear fruit as policy changes that benefit indigenous livestock and rural livelihoods.

For example, the scope of the Recognition of Forest Rights Bill 2005, that originally only gave rights to forest-dwelling tribes, was expanded to include the grazing rights of nomadic and settled pastoralist communities in forests. This legislation was passed by parliament on 7 December, 2006.

The National Draft Policy on Farmers emphasises the close relationship between livestock keeping, sustainable livelihoods, and access to grazing land. It spells out the need for securing pastoralists’ forest grazing rights, including in national parks and other protected areas.

An increasing number of Indian government actors are starting to take notice of the role of pastoralists as custodians of livestock breeds and their role on conserving biodiversity.

Further details 27 kb

White gold of the desert

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 15:21:00 +0000

Conserving animal biodiversity and creating rural employment can go hand in hand - an Indian NGO is showing the way.

Camels are part of the past? Not according to Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan.

LPPS is running a project to boost the value of camel products such as milk and ice cream. Camel milk, the "white gold of the desert", is highly nutritious and is used traditionally to treat tuberculosis and typhoid. According to scientists, it may also have a positive effect on patients with HIV/AIDS, cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Further details 63 kb

Livestock Keepers and the Management of Animal Genetic Resources: Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 16:30:00 +0000

Pastoralists and other livestock keepers should have the right to participate in formulating national policies. That was one of the conclusions of a workshop on Pastoralists, Livestock Keepers Rights and Animal Genetic Resources, on 24 to 26 February 2007.

Around 100 pastoralists from all over India attended the workshop in Sadri, Rajasthan, along with delegations from Mongolia, Iran and the Philippines.

The workshop also demanded official recognition for pastoralists as custodians of animal genetic resources. Their mobile way of life and their traditional rights to use forest lands and other natural resources must be protected, said participants.

An international meeting followed immediately after the national workshop. Participants from Bangladesh, China, Germany, India, Iran, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, the UK and Vietnam, along with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, clarified the concept of Livestock Keepers' Rights. This a bundle of rights and recommendations for strengthening the role of livestock keepers in animal genetic resource management.

Issues discussed included:

The loss of grazing land and traditional knowledge, leading to the erosion of animal genetic resources
The dangers of intensive, industrial food production systems and their narrowing of animal genetic diversity
The threat to the right of livestock keepers to breed their own animals
The lack of support for Livestock Keepers’ Rights from governments worldwide
The need to build the capacity of livestock keepers

Report from the two meetings: 326 kb

International workshop on Livestock Keepers and the Management of Animal Genetic Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 09:52:00 +0000

The LIFE Network will host an international workshop on "Livestock Keepers and the Management of Animal Genetic Resources: Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities" in Sadri, Rajasthan, India, on 26-28 February 2007.

Registration and accommodation are free, but participants must cover their own expenses. The organizers may be able to provide assistance in certain cases.

Further information: 47 kb

The LIFE Network supports community-based conservation of animal genetic resources and seeks to strengthen rural livelihoods through the development of indigenous livestock breeds and species. See www.lifeinitiative.net for more.

India's herding communities: Affirm our customary grazing rights!

noreply@blogger.com (Paul Mundy) — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:57:00 +0000

On this year's Human Rights Day, 10th December, representatives of herding communities from all over India rallied in Delhi to draw attention to their plight and discuss strategies for reviving their customary grazing rights. For hundreds of years these mobile livestock keepers have held together rural life by providing draught animals, milk, meat, wool, manure, and general ecosystem services.

But in the last several decades these diverse and colourful people that include the Raika and Gujjar of Rajasthan, the Maldhari of Gujarat, the Gaddi in Himachal, Bakkarwal in Kashmir, Van Gujjar in Uttaranchal, Changpa in Ladakh, Golla in Orissa, Kuruba in Karnataka, Toda and Konar in Tamil Nadu, and many more, have felt the squeeze of "development" and of generally unsympathetic government policies. The establishment of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, joint-forest management schemes, allotment of common land for commercial plantation or bio-diesel cultivation, expansion of irrigation agriculture are all developments that have constricted their customary grazing areas.

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