The Livestock and Environment debate
has always been a contentious one with varied opinions
on whether livestock are beneficial to the environment
or are enemies. As an organisation working closely
with livestock rearers this debate in its many manifestations
is a critical part of our work. Through research,
training programmes, advocacy initiatives and publications
we try to place on the public domain different perspectives
related to this field
Some of the critical areas we are engaged with are:
Domesticated Diversity of Livestock Breeds
Across
the globe different domesticated breeds have evolved
from their wild progenitors in response to the
varied needs of diverse communities. Local breeds
in general
are better equipped to cope with the vagaries of
weather, locally prevalent diseases, seasonal shortages
of food and water. India itself has the distinction
not merely of having a rich and diverse number
of animals which are domesticated: yak, Camels, Mithun,
ducks, pigeon, besides cattle, buffalo, sheep,
goat
and pigs, we also have the distinction of having
some of the widest range of breeds within each
species, thereby representing a significant percentage
of
the worlds domesticated livestock diversity.
However, recent global trends have sought to replace
this diversity with mono cultures and breeds. In
cattle, dairy breeds like the Holstein Friesian have
replaced our draft, dairy and dual purpose breeds.
In poultry commercial varieties like the white leg
horn threaten to replace indigenous birds well known
for their disease resistance and in sheep these forces
push coarse wool breeds like the Deccani off the
face of the earth only to be replaced by different
meat varieties. The loss of this vast domesticated
diversity would be a global loss for all humankind.
ANTHRA is engaged in contributing to the preservation
of these breeds in different ways
Deccani breed
conservation (For details See project Supporting
Pastoral Livelihoods)
Aseel Poultry (For details
See project on building Adivasi food security)
Domesticated Diversity of Fodder Varieties
One of the most critical problem that confronts
livestock production in India today is the acute
scarcity of fodder (in terms of quality and quantity)
for a great part of the year resulting in reduced
productivity. Fodder and water scarcity forces farmers
to sell their livestock at distress rates during
summer and they repurchase them at exorbitant prices
at the onset of the monsoons. Reasons for the decline
in fodder varieties include:
Environmental reasons including the decrease of
forests, common grazing lands and their biodiversity.
Large tracts of village forest lands are being diverted
to non fodder species like Acacia auriculoformis,
Pongamia pinnata, eucalyptus, teak, bio-diesel plantations.Inedible
weeds like Lantana and Parthenium have replaced traditional
grass species in grazing lands
Change in agricultural practices because of policies
which favour new varieties and hybrids with poor
fodder value, Extensive and indiscriminate use of
pesticides which contaminate fodder,Land used for
growing cereals and pulses being diverted to cash
crops and commercial crops like flowers, chilly and
tobacco which have no fodder value and the Export
of oil seeds and concentrates which deprives livestock
of their nutrition in the form of oil seed cakes
The combination of these factors means poor households
with very little land are finding it increasingly
difficult to feed their animals and have to spend
more time per day in efforts to meet the nutritional
demands of their animals especially women who are
usually responsible for collecting daily fodder for
their animals. This has also affected pastoralists,
who find it increasingly difficult to migrate in
search of water and fodder sources, as their access
to these resources have been restricted.
Building Fodder Security is a focus area of the
organisation and is being achieved through different
projects and programmes.
Medicinal Plants for Animal Use and their Conservation
While
Ayurveda and the use of plants for treating human
beings is well known, comparatively less is
known about the sister science of treating animals
with plants. With growing concern of the excessive
use of contaminants and the resulting residues in
food products including those of animal origin, the
use of safe plant derivatives for treating animals
is gaining prominence.
In a study conducted by Anthra
between 1996 -1998 across 400 small and marginal
farming households in South India, it was found that
over 85 % of them used indigenous knowledge based
on medicinal plants to cure their animals. The research
in fact revealed that medicinal plants used under
traditional knowledge systems were found to effectively
heal quite a few conditions affecting animals.They
were also effective, safe, easy to use, cost little
and the plants were locally available. Where they
did not really prove effective was against infectious
diseases.
For details see the publication “Plants
Used in Animal Care.”
Working with medicinal
plants and indigenous knowledge also brought us
face to face with other pressing issues.
Plants, Patents and the Ownership of Knowledge
At
ANTHRA we have always felt that this form of knowledge
belongs to the community from which it has been
obtained and should be used primarily for their advancement.
Patenting of indigenous knowledge and life forms
can discriminate against the poor in favour of
the
rich who can source legal help.Further, once these
products enter commercial processes inexpensive
and effective remedies for the poor may no longer
be
available and the poor will end up paying for knowledge
which was once theirs. Placing this knowledge on
the public domain is a commitment of our organisation
and we have tried to do this through our publications
and training programmes
Disappearing Plants
Many of the plants we have
documented may very soon be extremely rare or extinct
as the ecological niches they grew in get diverted
to other use. Unsustainable commercial extraction
and exploitation is another reason for these plants
to disappear. We are therefore working in different
ways to preserve this biodiversity. Biodiversity
parks, herbal kitchen gardens
Other critical areas we are engaged in are policy
and advocacy initiatives related to the Access of
livestock owners to Natural resources (please see
our publications for details, Environmental polices
affecting livestock rearing and Climate Change.
