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National Seminar: The Future of Camels in India: How to ensure their conservation and well-being

On 27th January, 2025, Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS) and Bharat Krishak Samaj (BKS) organized a National Seminar on ‘The Future of Camels in India: How to ensure their Conservation and Well-Being’ at the India Habitat Centre in New-Delhi. The event was attended by more than 50 stakeholders, representing  the Governments of India and Rajasthan,  FAO, camel herders from four different regions, NGOs, experts in various fields, as well as the animal welfare community.

After listening to a series of formal presentations, four working groups were formed to discuss the impact of the Rajasthan Law, the importance of Common Property Resources and synergy with the upcoming International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, how to attract and motivate young herders, and how to go about establishing Rajasthan’s camel milk as a cruelty-free’ and high value niche product.

The recommendations included:

  1. Repeal of the Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Law.
  2. Herders must be given respect and dignity, and their young generation requires incentives.
  3. Conservation of Common Property Resources (CPR), such as oran, and establishment of a ‘Pastoral Cell’ within the Rajasthan Government.
  4. Positioning camel milk as a superfood and its products as Rajasthan’s culinary specialty.

The proceedings of the seminar and selected presentations are available below:

For more information, contact Hanwant Singh Rathore at lpps.sadri1996@gmail.com or Dr. Ilse Köhler-Rollefson at ilse.koehlerroll@gmail.com

Accounting for pastoralists in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is the most recent country to be covered in LPP’s Accounting for Pastoralists series.

The rangelands and deserts that cover most of the country support large numbers of nomadic, transhumant and sedentary pastoralists, who make up perhaps 10% of the country’s population. The nomadic and transhumant pastoralists are known as “Kuchi”. They own more than 70% of the country’s livestock and produce most of the live animals and meat consumed there. They migrate to the central highlands in the summer, returning to the warmer lowlands in the winter. Khurshid Muhammad describes the management systems they use, their contributions to the national economy and society, and the challenges they face.

Click here for the brief.

Accounting for pastoralists in Pakistan

The latest in LPP’s Accounting for Pastoralists series of briefs focuses on Pakistan.

Khurshid Muhammad describes the various forms of pastoralism that dominate the deserts and mountains that cover much of this country. As in many other countries, reliable data on pastoralism is scarce, but it is possible to tease information out of the official statistics and academic studies to show the importance of this for of livestock management for the livelihoods of millions of people as well as for the national economy.

Clcik here for the brief.