Experiences with biocultural
community protocols by
livestock keepers
B
Y EARLY 2010, four livestock-keeping communities had established community proto-
cols. These include the Raika of Rajasthan (India), the Samburu of northern Kenya,
the Lingayat of Tamil Nadu (India) and Pashtoon livestock keepers of Baluchistan (Pakistan). They differ somewhat in scope and issues covered, because they were developed in
a participatory manner.
Raika Biocultural Protocol
The Raika are the largest pastoral community of western Rajasthan. They have a close
relationship with the camel, but have also developed a spectrum of other livestock breeds,
including cattle, sheep and goats. As long as common property resources were amply available, the Raika felt strong and well-endowed. Historically, they also had a close relationship
with the ruling class of Rajputs, for whom they took care of camel breeding herds and
enjoyed grazing privileges in forests. But over the last 60 years, they have suffered from
a host of developments that have eroded common property resources and restricted their
access to the remaining areas, including intensification of crop cultivation, establishment
of wildlife sanctuaries, population pressure, roads, enclosures of land, and many others.
Establishing the Raika Biocultural
Community Protocol (photo by
Ilse Köhler-Rollefson)
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