Biocultural community protocols for livestock keepers
Biocultural community protocols transform livestock keepers from a generic group into a
diverse but tangible assembly of communities with long traditions of livestock keeping,
with different breeds in different agro-ecosystems, fulfilling multiple livelihood functions.
They help to create responsible and politically aware development partners for outside actors that seek to pursue development interventions. They can be expected to contribute to
endogenous livestock development, which represents a socially and ecologically sustainable
alternative to the excesses of mainstream livestock development. If backed with institutional
development and marketing support, they may thereby have the potential to support rural
livelihoods, revitalize rural economies and prevent outmigration to urban areas.
All this said and done, biocultural community protocols are a new tool, and there is still
much room for improvement and experimentation. Their misuse has to be prevented and
it has to be ensured that it is communities who are driving the process. We need a dialogue
between communities and outside actors to further improve the process and the relevance
of biocultural community protocols.
Pashtoon camel nomad in Baluchistan (photo by Abdul Raziq Kakar)
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