|
presentation
|
Desertification is a challenge associated with basic survival for the two billion people that live in arid environments. Desertification, which is partly a result of the possession of artificial land and of resource management systems which are not appropriate within this context, is threatening to trap the most vulnerable communities in a cycle of poverty, hunger and environmental degradation. Desertification is most acute in Africa where the combination of extreme poverty and serious land degradation is having a dramatic impact. Arid lands and deserts are fragile ecosystems. Their unpredictable nature should be carefully taken into consideration. Here, the rain that falls in one day can amount to more than the average rainfall over several years or, it can rain heavily in one area while remaining dry in another area close by. The local inhabitants have developed land possession and resource management systems that fit into these unpredictable conditions. Nomadic pastoralism is one of the survival strategies that is best adapted to the desert. The pastoralists follow the rain. This nomadic focus on life not only benefits the health of the livestock but it also means that the fragile ecosystem can recover after extensive but temporary use. The transportation of fertilizer produced by the herds which amounts to about 3 tonnes per 1000 animals in a herd of small cattle, as well as the important role of the hooves which incorporate organic material into the ground, represent a valuable contribution that is being made to control erosion, water infiltration and to sustain ecosystems. The land possession systems have remained flexible in order to support these strategies, accommodating various resource users at different times, reducing the risk and minimising the vulnerability of factors related to climate. However, many land possession systems that have been adopted by the government have favoured the interests of the elite or of foreign private property owners. When this has occurred, those who use the resources have lost the flexibility they need to face the risks involved. This also means that it is more likely that the cattle will graze continuously in one area which reduces the elasticity of the ecosystems, leading to degradation and finally, desertification. Misinformed attempts to replace the traditional land possession systems with inappropriate models drawn from different social and ecological contexts are an important cause of desertification and poverty in many arid areas.
THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION The United Nations declared 2006 the International Year of Deserts and Desertification with the aim of supporting the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCDD) and raise public and government awareness about the massive threat this represents for humankind. During the whole year there were several gatherings, congresses and forums where the importance of preserving the cattle herding practices and culture of the nomadic and transhumant communities was highlighted. This is considered an essential element for the sustainable management of arid areas and for the fight against desertification, like the “Montpellier call to Combat Desertification” (September 2006), the result of an agreement reached by over 200 organisations that participated. Spain is aware of this problem and actively participated in this convention. In October 2006 it organised the 2nd International Symposium on Desertification and Migration which was set up based on the fact that large scale demographic movement is not only caused by political conflicts or economic collapse. In many cases poverty is behind this migration, which is a result of a lack of natural resources and the processes of environmental degradation, desertification being one of the most important of these. In 2007 Spain will hold the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties, the supreme decision making body of the Convention which examines its application. This will take place in the Palacio de Congresos in Madrid from 3 to 14 September. The World Gathering of Nomadic and Transhumant Pastoralists taking place alongside the Conference could contribute a real and detailed perspective on the situation for these communities that have demonstrated that their presence is crucial in order to achieve the objectives established during the events of 2006 by this Convention that will be analysed during the Conference of the Parties. A Parallel Event will take place within the COP-8 framework for this, in which a statement written by the nomadic and transhumant pastoralists about the issue of desertification will be read out.
THE INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL CONFERENCE ON ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES IN INTERLAKEN (SWITZERLAND), 1-7 SEPTEMBER 2007: WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PASTORALIST AND OTHER INTEREST GROUPS SUPPORTING SMALL-SCALE, ECOLOGICALLY ORIENTED ANIMAL PRODUCTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT! Pastoralists rarely are the subject of any international discussions, especially at an official government level. Even the UNCCD (Convention on Combating Desertification) prefers to refer to ranching rather than pastoralism, even though the latter is undoubtedly more prevalent in drylands. But the First International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources that will be held in Interlaken (Switzerland) from 1-7 September 2007, is organised by the FAO and hosted by the Government of Switzerland http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/genetics/angrvent2007.html is different! It offers a historic opportunity for pastoralists to get recognition and support for their role as creators of breeds and custodians of farm animal genetic diversity, or as “Keepers of Genes”! For decades, the breeds developed by pastoralists were scorned upon by animal scientists as unproductive, but global concerns about the increasing genetic homogeneity of livestock (a small number of high performance breeds and hybrid lines predominating) suddenly let them appear in a different light. Having to survive in harsh environments, pastoralist breeds actually represent reservoirs of genetic diversity and retain many genetic traits – for fertility, vitality, disease and drought resistance – that no longer exist in animals kept in industrial systems This note gives a brief overview about the issues at stake and opportunities for influencing the outcome of the conference in a way that would be positive for pastoralists. Background The rationale of the conference is the increasing rate of erosion of domestic animal diversity. In the last hundred years, approximately one third of the known livestock breeds have become extinct or threatened by extinction; furthermore genetic diversity within the small number of global breeds has narrowed to a frightening extent. FAO and governments therefore see a need to reach an agreement on how to manage the world’s farm animal genetic resources in a long-term sustainable manner. The main goal of the Conference is thus “to achieve consensus on how best to address priorities for the sustainable use, development and conservation of animal genetic resources and to raise awareness and appreciation of the various roles and values of these essential resources”. The conference is expected to have three concrete outcomes. - A report on the State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources will be presented. - A Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources will be agreed upon in form of the Interlaken Declaration. - The Strategic Priorities for Action would provide the agenda for action within the Global Plan of Action. The first Draft Strategic Priorities for Action (SPAs)were presented to the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources (ITWG-AnGR) in December, 2006. They mention the word „pastoralists“14 times! Some of the Strategic Priorities for Action hold special promise for pastoralist production systems, e.g. SPA 10: “Support indigenous and local production systems and associated knowledge systems, of importance to the maintenance and sustainable use of animal genetic resources.” Example Action: “Support indigenous and local livestock systems of importance to animal genetic resources, including through the removal of factors contributing to genetic erosion, and the provision of services and incentives. Incentives may be regulatory and or market based, and may include micro-credit for women in rural areas, appropriate access to natural resources and to the market, resolving land tenure issues, the recognition of cultural practices and values, and adding value to their specialist products. Unfortunately, many countries expressed reservations about the Draft Strategic Priorities for Action and the Chairman of the ITWG-AnGR, Dr. Harvey Blackburn from USA, has convened a group of „Friends of the Chair“ to develop a new set of SPAs. The group met recently, and the revised draft is expected to become available soon. The decision about which draft version of the SPAs will form the basis for the discussions at Interlaken will be made at a meeting of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) to be held at FAO in Rome from 11-15 June. http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/genetics/documents/ITWG_Report4.pdf Livestock Keepers’ Rights Beginning with the World Food Summit in 2002, Civil Society has been advocating the recognition of Livestock Keepers’ Rights, initially in allusion to the Farmers Rights that are included in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources. However, this is where the similarity stops, since the concept was further developed in a series of international meetings with pastoralists and other indigenous livestock keepers, such as in Karen (Kenya) and Bellagio (Italy). They were also discussed during the Regional Pastoralists Gathering in Yabello, Ethiopia, as well as during a LIFE-Network Meeting in Sadri (Rajasthan/India) in February 2007. http://www.pastoralpeoples.org/docs/life-meeting_summary_feb07.pdf Livestock Keepers’ Rights are a „bundle of rights“, consisting of the following cornerstones: 1: Recognition of livestock keepers as creators of breeds and custodians of AnGRFA 2: Recognition of the dependency of the sustainable use of traditional breeds on the conservation of their respective eco-systems 3: Recognition of traditional breeds as collective property, products of indigenous knowledge and cultural expression. 4:The right of the livestock keepers to make breeding decisions 5: Right of livestock keepers to participate in policy making processes on AnGRFA issues 6: Support for training and capacity-building of livestock keepers and provision of services along the food chain. Lobbying for Livestock Keepers’ Rights Livestock Keepers’ Rights will only become a reality if governments take up the issue. Because the concept so far has only been backed by Civil Society, the term is not even included in the draft State of the World Report on Animal Genetic Resources (although the individual cornerstones are)! However, there are still opportunities for changing this in the run-up to the Interlaken Conference, especially during the meeting of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) in Rome in June. For further information contact: Ilse Köhler-Rollefson, Projects Coordinator, League for Pastoral Peopls and Endogenous Livestock Development, Pragelatostr. 20, 64372 Ober-Ramstadt, Germany. P. Vivekanandan, Coordinator, LIFE-Network India, SEVA, vivek@yahoo.co.in, numvali@sancharnet.in. www.lifeinitiative.net |
|
La Granja. Segovia.
|
call for volunteers
pdf