With camelids into a sustainable future
Pastoral camelid husbandry is rapidly changing worldwide. Whether in the drylands of Asia and Africa (the “Old World”) or in the Andean highlands (the “New World”), camel herders face increasing challenges.
This dossier by the League for Pastoral Peoples, the German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture and Misereor offers a differentiated picture of camelid pastoralists’ realities. An introduction to the importance of pastoralism worldwide is followed by an analysis of how camelid husbandry has evolved over recent decades. In the second part, you can learn about pastoral camelid keepers in the Andean highlands, Eastern Africa and Mongolia. The third part of the dossier looks at the role of research on camelid pastoralism and discusses camelid policies that are needed for a resilient future.
The dossier is available in English and German.
19 organizations sign civil society statement on the International Year of Camelids
Nineteen civil society organizations have so far signed a statement calling for greater efforts to support the development of camelids around the world.
Camelids include domesticated alpacas, llamas, dromedaries and Bactrian camels, plus guanacos, vicunas and wild Bactrians, which are wild species.
Domesticated camelids are vital for herders in the Andes of South America, the drylands of the Sahel and East Africa, and the deserts and steppes of the Middle East and Central Asia.
The civil-society statement calls on governments to ensure that herders can remain mobile so they can continue to find pasture and water in these harsh environments. It also calls for investments in small dairies and decentralized infrastructure so herders can sell their products, and better provision of veterinary services to keep their livestock healthy.
It stresses the need for standards for camelid welfare and the avoidance of the industrial management practices that have become typical of other livestock species.
2024 has been designated as the International Year of Camelids by the United Nations.
Do you represent a civil-society organization? Contact info@pastoralpeoples.org to sign up to the statement.