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Community right of use or entitlements including grazing (both settled or transhumant) and
traditional seasonal resource access, of nomadic or pastoralist communities (Section 3d)
The rights in or over disputed lands under any nomenclature in any State where claims are
disputed (Section 3f)
The right to protect regenerate or conserve or manage any forestry resource which we have
been traditionally protecting and conserving for sustainable use (Section 3i)
The right of access to biodiversity and community right to intellectual property and TK related to
biodiversity and traditional knowledge related to biodiversity and cultural diversity (Section 3k)
The right to traditional rights customarily enjoyed by the Raika (Section 3l)
We acknowledge the limitation of these rights under Section 4 of the Act in cases where forests are
designated as National Parks or Sanctuaries, but point out that the processes set out under Section 4(2)
– such as ascertaining whether other reasonable options such as co-existence are not available - remain
to be complied with.
C. NATIONAL POLICY FOR FARMERS
The National Policy for Farmers (NPF – 2007) is an attempt to reorient agricultural policy to take a more
holistic vision of agricultural production to include a focus on socio-economic wellbeing. Animal genetic
resources and pastoralists are among the areas it focuses on to achieve in situ conservation according to
the NBA.
The NPF acknowledges livestock keepers’ inherent rights to continue to use and develop their own
breeding stock and breeding practices and calls on the government to recognize these rights,
acknowledge livestock keepers’ contribution to the national economy, and adapt its policies and legal
frameworks accordingly. As part of this effort, it underscores the need to document the indigenous
knowledge of pastoral communities about animal conservation, maintenance and breeding.
To achieve these aims, the NPF calls for:
• Restoration of traditional grazing rights and camping rights in respect of forest areas and in
those areas earmarked for grazing purpose in village common lands;
• Formalizing entitlements (including issue of permanent grazing cards) for traditional
pastoralists/herders maintaining native animal breeds to enable free access to notified or
demarcated grazing sites and migration routes;
• Conservation and expansion on grazing land and drinking water sources for livestock;
• Documentation of indigenous livestock breeds to recognize and protect the intellectual property
rights of the local communities / individuals conserving these livestock breeds; and
• Involved of pastoralists in all local natural resource management programs, including village
forest committees and joint forest management.
WE CALL ON THE NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY AUTHORITY
We call on the National Biodiversity Authority to:
• Recognize our local breeds and associated traditional knowledge as set out in the Raika
Biodiversity Register and to include it in the Peoples Biodiversity Register (under Rule 22(6) of
the Biological Diversity Rules);
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