Food Security and Climate Change

I am an applied animal scientist and had been working with livestock breeds issues in the context of food security and climate change. Climate change is affecting and will affect (worst) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture and its production systems. Most probably with the consequences of climate change, every year new diseases inter in the disease register of livestock species. Last year a fatal respiratory camel disease was reported from many quarters of Asia, while killing hundreds of camels. The disease was linked to the dry spell in the desert because of no rains.

On the other hand, introduction of exotic high yielding livestock breeds (mostly Holstein cow) in the dry lands of the globe is a useless and desecrate exercise. Such breeds need very high inputs. While providing a favorable environment a lot of energy and water are needed. Grain feeding, high veterinary inputs, need for skilled human resources and other limiting factors are also link to such breeds.

Local/indigenous livestock breeds are very important and play pivotal role in food security and livelihood earning of the livestock keepers in the world. Such breeds need very low or even zero inputs. They rely on marginal lands, not suitable for agricultural activities. Local breeds are highly resistant to the climate change affects, diseases, feed/water scarcity and droughts.

Unfortunately, there is political and industrial backing for the introduction of exotic breeds just for monitory interest. Local livestock breeds are always neglected while formulating policies for food security and livestock production. The local livestock farmers are also neglected and never participated in policies formulation. Such circumstances make it difficult to achieve the goals of food security, especially in the climate change context. LIFE Network has introduced the idea of livestock keepers’ rights.

http://www.pastoralpeoples.org/docs/Declaration_on_LKRs_with_initial%20signatories_6.pdf

Also climate change issue is always dragging politically. Carbon credits, methane gas production etc, all are considered as the produce of animals, especially livestock of food and agriculture. In this context thousands of Australian camels are proposed to be killed/shoot as carbon credits. Such methodologies are unacceptable and cannot help in reality. The same camel can be use as food aid and food security in the drought affected areas, once provided those camels to Australia, especially Afghan people.

In short local livestock breeds can be the best tool to combat the affects of climate change on one hand and to reach the goals of food security on the other hand.

RESPECT THE CAMEL MILK CLIP

World Camel Day. 22 June, 2011

Author:

Dr Abdul Raziq
Dry lands are judiciously use by precious indigenous livestock breeds and camel is one of the most important among those breeds. The best utilization of marginal dry and deserted lands is livestock keeping as crop production is not sustainable agricultural activity. Camel is solution for many difficult questions of near future, especially climate change, water shortage and global warming etc. Camel uses water and feed resources very sensibly under very harsh and hostile environmental conditions.  Camel is very affective biological model, needs very scarce inputs and produce efficiently more than other livestock on per unit feed/water consumption. Details about the unique characteristics of camel can be revising from the following link.

http://www.articlesbase.com/nature-articles/a-unique-and-fascinating-creature-the-camel-4217611.html


In spite of all its characteristics camel culture is facing many challenges. Such challenges are now well addressed by many camel scientists. In the present decade, the importance of camel is well realized and documented. Many scientific literatures were produced to highlight camel importance. Many camel projects were initiated on camel milk and other utilization. A camel bicultural paper is one of the unique of its kind.


http://agro.biodiver.se/2011/03/saving-the-camel-through-dung/


To highlight the importance of camel and challenges it faces, a world camel day was proposed by the author and ultimately 22 June was declared as world camel day. Camel day will be celebrate in many parts of the world by camel scientists and activist to highlight it as integral part of biodiversity and efficient biological model in the dry and deserted lands of the world.


Society of animal, vet and environmental scientists (SAVES) and LIFE Network Pakistan is going to celebrate this day by conducting seminars and media campaign in Pakistan. As UN is celebrating the decade of Biodiversity,


http://www.decadeonbiodiversity.net/


It is very in place to celebrate camel day and correlate it with the decade of biodiversity. Camel is very integral part of the world of biodiversity and not harmful for flora as camel takes few bite and walk to the other plant. Camel pad is like cushion and not harmful for the plants in the rangelands and desert.


Thanks to all camel scientists and activists who supported me for declaring a world camel day.



Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nature-articles/world-camel-day-22-june-2011-4884435.html
About the Author
Author is the president of the Society of Animal, Vet. and Environmental Scientists (SAVES). I had been working on the issues of the dry lands and indigenous livestock breeds for food and agriculture. The author have the experience of livestock keeping, breeding and healthcare with both indigenous and modern knowledge. He had been working with the pastoral people for last 10 years, while characterizing and documenting livestock breeds and indigenous knowledge, especially related to camel. Ahthor had been delivering training to the livestock keepers in remote for vaccination, drenching and other valuable practices. I am the author of the indigenous livestock breeds, livestock production systems of the tribal people and indigenous knowledge in Balochistan province, Cholistan and Thar Desert of the Great Indian Desert. He had been traveling with the Afghan nomads (Kochis) to work and document on indigenous knowledge and livestock breeds/husbandry.


Author organized camel scientists and herder in Pakistan and founded Camel Association of Pakistan. I am PhD in camel science and presented many international research presentations at various occasions.Dr Abdul Raziq had visited many countries and research stations.

22 June, World Camel Day (WCD 2011)

Indigenous livestock breeds are play pivotal role in the livelihood earning of the livestock keepers in the dry lands. The best utilization of marginal dry and deserted lands is livestock keeping as crop production is not sustainable agricultural activity. Camel is solution for many difficult questions of near future, especially climate change, water shortage and global warming etc. Camel uses water and feed resources very sensibly under very harsh and hostile environmental conditions.  Camel is very affective biological model, needs very scarce inputs and produce efficiently more than other livestock on per unit feed/water consumption. Details about the unique characteristics of camel can be revising from the following link.
http://www.articlesbase.com/nature-articles/a-unique-and-fascinating-creature-the-camel-4217611.html

In spite of all its characteristics camel culture is facing many challenges. Such challenges are now well addressed by many camel scientists. In the present decade, the importance of camel is well realized and documented. Many scientific literatures were produced to highlight camel importance. Many camel projects were initiated on camel milk and other utilization. A camel bicultural paper is one of the unique of its kind.
http://agro.biodiver.se/2011/03/saving-the-camel-through-dung/
To highlight the importance of camel and challenges it faces, a world camel day was proposed by the author and ultimately 22 June was declared as world camel day. Camel day will be celebrate in many parts of the world by camel scientists and activist to highlight it as integral part of biodiversity and efficient biological model in the dry and deserted lands of the world.
Society of animal, vet and environmental scientists (SAVES) and LIFE Network Pakistan is going to celebrate this day by conducting seminars and media campaign in Pakistan. As UN is celebrating the decade of Biodiversity,
http://www.decadeonbiodiversity.net/
It is very in place to celebrate camel day and correlate it with the decade of biodiversity. Camel is very integral part of the world of biodiversity and not harmful for flora as camel takes few bite and walk to the other plant. Camel pad is like cushion and not harmful for the plants in the rangelands and desert.
Thanks to all camel scientists and activists who supported me for declaring a world camel day.