Biocultural Community Protocols: A tool for Strengthening the Rights of

Livestock Keepers

Ilse Köhler-Rollefson

LPP

Pastoral Knowledge Hub Partners Meeting

2 April, 2017

• Biocultural Community Protocols document the role of a community in conserving and managing animal genetic resources and eco-systems.

• They are both a document and a community process.

Legal Context

• CBD – United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

• Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity

• Global Plan of Action on Animal Genetic Resources

CBD – Paragraph 8j

• Each contracting Party shall, as far as possible and as appropriate:

Subject to national legislation, respect, preserve and maintain knowledge,

innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities

embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and

sustainable use of biological diversity and promote their wider application

with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge,

innovations and practices and encourage the equitable sharing of the

benefits arising from the utilization of such knowledge innovations and

practices.

Nagoya Protocol

• Article 12: Parties shall endeavour to support, as appropriate,

the development by indigenous and local communities, including women within these communities, of:

• (a) Community protocols in relation to access to traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of such knowledge;

• Entered into force in October 2014

Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources

• was agreed upon by 109 countries in Interlaken (Switzerland) in September, 2007.

• recognizes the role of pastoralists (and other small-scale livestock keepers) in the conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources

Biocultural Protocols

• Are a claim to be an „indigenous/local community“ under para 8j of the CBD

• Community protocol as in the Nagoya Protocol

• document the role of a community in conserving AnGr and eco-systems

• Are the product of a facilitated process in which communities reflect how they want to handle access to their knowledge and genetic resources.

• Are an extremely empowering experience

• Provide a legal tool for access to grazing resources

Contents

• OVERVIEW 3 • OUR BIOCULTURAL VALUES 3 • WE PRESERVE UNIQUE ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES AND HAVE ASSOCIATED TRADITIONAL • KNOWLEDGE • WE CONSERVE AND SUSTAINABLE USE RAJASTHAN’S BIODIVERSITY6 • PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT & BENEFIT 7 • WE ARE BEING EXCLUDED FROM CUSTOMARY GRAZING AREAS • WITHOUT OUR PRIOR INFORMED • CONSENT - AND BIODIVERSITY IS BEING LOST. 8 • OUR RIGHTS UNDER INDIAN LAWS & POLICIES 10 • WE CALL ON THE NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY AUTHORITY .... • 12 • WE COMMIT TO PROTECTING THE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AN • D ASSOCIATED TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE • 13 • OUR RIGHTS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW APPENDIX I: RAIKA BIODIVERSITY REGISTER ........... • ................................................... • ............................. 15 • APPENDIX II: OUR RIGHTS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW

Overview This protocol specifically: • Sets out our biocultural values and explains how we, the Raika, have

developed and preserved unique breeds of livestock and traditional knowledge associated with them, and how our pastoral lifestyle has developed the co-evolved ecosystem of R ajasthan’s forests which we have traditionally conserved and sustainably used;

• Details our customary decision making process involved in providing free prior informed consent to any actions that relate to our grazing rights, animal genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge;

• Illustrates the disastrous impacts that our exclusion from previously communal grazing areas and forests is having on our lives, livestock, genetic resources, traditional knowledge and the forest ecosystem itself;

• Articulates our forest access rights and rights over our genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge under Indian law;

Legal part

• OUR RIGHTS UNDER INDIAN LAWS & POLICIES 10

• WE CALL ON THE NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY AUTHORITY ....

• WE COMMIT TO PROTECTING THE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND ASSOCIATED TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

• Our rights under national law

• Our rights under international law

Biocultural Community Protocols Livestock keeping communities in several countries have already taken the initiative to develop Biocultural Community Protocols which explain their situation and outline the conditions under which they can continue to act as stewards and ensure access in the future. These broadly correspond to the points summarized in the Declaration on Livestock Keepers’ Rights (www.pastoralpeoples. org/docs/LKRdeclaration.pdf) which resulted from the Interlaken Process that culminated in the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources (http:// www.fao.org/docrep/010/a1404e/a1404e00.htm).

Community Breeds Country Status

Raika camel, Nari cattle, Boti sheep, Sirohi goat India finalized

Banni Maldhari Banni buffalo India finalized

Rebari and Jatt Kutchi and Kharai camels India finalized

Bargur Hill cattle Bargur Hill Cattle India finalized

Attappady goat

breeders

Attapatty goat India finalized

Pullikulum cattle

breeders

Pullikulum cattle India finalized

Pashtoon Various breeds Pakistan finalized

Samburu Red Maasai sheep Kenya finalized

Golla Ganjam goat India In prep

Kuruba Kuruba shepherding system, incl. Deccani

breed

India In prep

Kangayam cattle

breeders

Kangayam cattle India In prep

Malgaddi Brela camel Pakistan In prep

So far this remains a scattered and underfunded effort which urgently needs to be expanded on a country-by-country basis, extending Biocultural Community Protocols.

Different approaches to agrobiodiversity conservation:

PGR: Svalbard AnGR: A network of community based „breed repositories“

Required Benefits for Pastoralists/Livestock keeping

comunities

• Grazing Rights

• Value chain development /infrastructure for local processing

• Marketing

• Veterinary care

• Capacity and Organisation Building

Advocacy Entry Points

• Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) – ITWG-AnGR

• SDGs: 1,2,6,9 (Secure Biodiversity and Ensure Good Management of Water, Oceans, Forests and Natural Resources), 10

• GASL – Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock