D u e D i l ig e n c e t o L iv e l ih o o d s a n d B io d iv e r s i t y in t h e G A A

Ilse Köhler-RollefsonLPP/LIFE

“For example, the introduction of advanced genetics, feeding systems, and animal health protection have enabled industrialized countries, over the past four decades, to reduce their overall land requirements for livestock by 20%, while at the same time doubling total meat production”

But at what cost ?

• Social – loss of rural income opportunities, increased unemployment rates.

• Biodiversity loss – both domestic animal diversity and floral diversity

• Routine application of antibiotics and other additives

• Animal welfare

In Germany…

Looking just at GHG as indicator of sustainability is not enough

and misses out equally or more important criteria!

Low input systems

High input large-scale systems

qBiodiversityqRisk reductionq Soil and water qualityqAdaptability to changeqEmployment

GHG

GHG

1 litre milk 1 litre milk

“reducing overall land requirements for livestock by

20%” ?Is this a proper indicator?Consider this:

• Livestock does not require land of ist own – it can be integrated.

• The role of livestock is to use land that can not be used for crop-production

• Land that is not grazed, loses productivity and biodiversity (e.g. Inner Mongolia)

Mobile sheep production in India‘s drylands

Mobile pig keeping in high rainfall India

Buffalo and camel keeping in coastal India

Use of alpine pastures in India

Livestock keepers becoming extinct?

• In India, the most rapid growth in livestock population has been among large landholders, and concerned especially industrial poultry units. On the other hand, the number of stock owned by the landless, including small ruminants, pigs, and poultry, is decreasing dramatically (Chacko in FAO,2010).

• In Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) the number of pig producers shrunk from 85,000 to 10,000 between 1995 and 2008

• In Romania, pig producers declined by 90% in 4 years

Consolidation and debt in Europe

Dairy farmers in Denmark

Debts average € 2.25 million/per farm € 19,000/per cow

Dairy farmers in Germany4000 (about 4%) expected to go out of business this year

1984 2008

33,800 dai r y

produc ers

3,780 dai r y produc ers

Livelihoods and biodiversity are closely interlinked

The „Interlaken Process“ that led to the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources (GPA) firmly established that small-scale livestock keepers are essential for conservation of biological diversity – animal genetic resources and wild biodiversity

Origin of „Livestock Keepers‘ Rights“

• The term „Livestock Keepers‘ Rights“ was first coined by Civil Society in 2002 to flag the role of livestock keepers in animal genetic resource management. It took ist cue from „Farmers‘ Rights“ as known from the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

• More closely defined in series of consultations by and with about 500 representatives of livestock keeping communities from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe that took place in Kenya, India, Italy and Ethiopia

• In the process, 7 cornerstones of „Livestock Keepers‘ Rights“ were identified that would enable livestock keepers to continue managing AnGR

LPP/LIFE-Network

Livestock Keepers‘ Rights

• In the process, three principles and four rights of supporting livestock keepers, livelihoods and biodiversity were iddentified.

Principle1Recognition of livestock keepers as creators of breeds and custodians of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture

Recognition of the dependency of the sustainable use of

traditional breeds on the conservation of their

respective eco-systems.

Principle 2

Example Chilka buffalo breeders in Orissa, India

LPP/LIFE-Network

Principle 3

Recognition of traditional breeds as collective property, products of indigenous knowledge and cultural expression.

LPP/LIFE-Net w ork

Right 1

The right of the livestock keepers to make breeding decisions and use their genetic material, without fear of misappropriation and interference through Intellectual Property Rights

Right 2

Right of livestock keepers to participate in policy making processes on animal genetic resource issues

Right 3

Support for training and capacity-building of livestock keepers and provision of services along the food chain.

Right 4

LPP/LIFE-Network

Right to be involved in the identification of research needs (on their breeds)

The Seven „Rights“

# 1: Recognition of livestock keepers as creators of breeds and custodians of AnGRFA/ backbone of food security

# 2: Recognition of the dependency of the sustainable use of traditional breeds on the conservation of their respective eco-systems/ linkage between food security and land (access)rights

#3: Recognition of traditional breeds as collective property, products of indigenous knowledge and cultural expression/ recognition of pastoralism for its potential to produce food.

#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.

• #7: Right to be involved in research need identification on their animals

LKR already have formal/informal support:

• Most of the principles and rights are reflected in existing international agreements, including the Right to Food, Interlaken Declaration, the GPA, the UN CBD and the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Experiences.

• Livestock Keepers‘ Rights were identified as an „issue that needs to be addressed“ at a meeting held in Wageningen in December, 2010 with government AnGr experts.

Explicit backing of Livestock Keepers‘ Rights by the Sustainable Livestock Agenda would be an important step in paying „due diligence“ to social issues, livelihoods, and biodiversity conservation.

• For more information about Livestock Keepers‘ Rights: http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1823t/i1823t13.pdf

• Please also check out our policy brief „Capitalizing on pastoralism to feed people and achieve livestock sector sustainability” at

• www.pastoralpeoples.org

Thanks to

For participation of pastoralists in GAA: