CHALLENGES OF PROTECTING INDIGENOUS LIVESTOCK GENETIC RESOURCES AND ASSOCIATED TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

1
CHALLENGES OF PROTECTING INDIGENOUS LIVESTOCK
GENETIC RESOURCES AND ASSOCIATED TRADITIONAL
KNOWLEDGE

• Ilse Koehler-Rollefson,
• League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous
  Livestock Development, Ober-Ramstadt, Germany

2
Domestic Animal Diversity

• The vast majority of breeds has been created by
  pastoralists and farmers
• Small-scale LK and pastoralists conserve
  in-situ
• Guardians of livestock biodiversity

3
Highly evolved breeding strategies

• Conserve and consolidate specific gene pools
  (breeds)
• Ensure diversity within herds
• Require people-centered, anthropological
  methods to be detected
• Have therefore remained largely invisible

4
Elements of IK-AB
Breeding decisions
Cultural identity and rules
Breeding management
Cognitive processes
Social mechanisms
5
Cultural identity and stewardship

• Identity of some traditional cultures based on
  relationship with animals
• Feeling of responsibility for welfare of animals
• Especially pastoralists
• Examples
• Raika - camel ( cattle)
• Fulani, Maasai - cattle
• Tzotzil Indian - sheep

6
Social breeding mechanisms

• Socially embedded customs influencing the gene
  pool
• Taboos on selling female animals outside
  community
• Rules for passing on animals from one generation
  to next
• Sharing mechanisms

7
Selection criteriabeyond productivity

• Ability to put on fat
• Good maternal behaviour
• Walking ability
• Drought resistance
• Love of owner
• Manageability

8
Nauguna 9 criteria used by Raika sheep
breeders

• Wool production
• Milk production
• Good pedigree, true to breed
• Mothering abilities
• Height
• Good walker
• Fast growth rate
• Drought and famine resistant
• Beauty
• High birth weight
• Ability to endure and withstand pain

9
Contrast between indigenous and scientific animal
breeding

• Indigenous breeding considers a variety of
  criteria
• Scientific breeding focuses on a limited number
  or even a single production trait? high
  performance breeds

10
Livestock and poultry breeds, globally

• 6,379 livestock and poultry breeds

Extinct 740 breeds
Critical or endangered 1694 breeds
Other 3945 breeds
Source FAO
11
Paradigm shift Renewed interest in indigenous
livestock breeds

• Local breeds more productive under low levels of
  inputs
• Most suitable foundation for livestock
  development in marginal environments
• Indigenous breeds have disease-resistance traits
  ? interest to the livestock industries and
  scientists

12
The Advance of Genomics

• Research on livestock genetics has shifted to the
  molecular level.
• Genomes of four species (cattle, chicken, pig,
  sheep) have been completely or largely
  deciphered.
• Initially carried out with public funds in
  government institutions
• Now regarded as major business opportunity
• Animal industry is estimated to be worth 100
  billion in US, and 240 billion globally.

13
Mapping of Genomes

• is expected by some to create a 5-10 efficiency
  improvement in the food business - achieved
  through improved feed conversion rates, faster
  growth rates, and higher retail yield
• Seen as a 5-10 billion dollar business
  opportunity for biotech companies.

14
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

• In genomics research, intellectual property
  rights are exercised as a matter of course and
  patents applied for immediately.
• Latest example Monsantos application in over
  160 countries for a series of patents on
  pig-breeding.

15
History of Livestock Keepers Rights

• First mention at World Food Summit in 2002, in
  allusion to Farmers Rights in International
  Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources
• Clarified in further meetings
• Karen Commitment - 2003
• Bellagio Brief - 2006
• Regional Pastoralists Gathering in Yabello,
  Ethiopia - 2006
• LIFE-Network Meeting in Sadri (Raj./India) - 2007

16
LKR Bundle of Rights

• 1 Recognition of livestock keepers as creators
  of breeds and custodians of AnGRFA
• 2 Recognition of the dependency of the
  sustainable use of traditional breeds on the
  conservation of their respective eco-systems
• 3 Recognition of traditional breeds as
  collective property, products of indigenous
  knowledge and cultural expression.
• 4The right of the livestock keepers to make
  breeding decisions
• 5 Right of livestock keepers to participate in
  policy making processes on AnGRFA issues
• 6 Support for training and capacity-building of
  livestock keepers and provision of services along
  the food chain.

17
National-International LIFE-Network
Workshop24-26 February, 2007

• Pastoralists hand over statement to Indias
  Director of AnGR