Women pastoralists for improved nutrition and increased resilience to climate shocks and soil degradation in Mongolia

Ms. Munkhbolor Gungaa (Bolor), Communication, M&E and Networking Coordinator, FAO Representation in Mongolia

Promoter of MANIP and WAMIP – Pastoralist Alliance Rome, 1-2 December 2016

Brief intro and foreword

I am one of the descendants of nomadic family born in the Gobi desert of Mongolia.

I work as a Communication, M&E and Networking Coordinator at FAO Representation in Mongolia.

I am a co-promoter of Mongolian and World Alliances of Pastoralists.

Since my Statement on behalf of the CSOs at the ICN2 in 2014, it is my great honour to be here again to present about

Mongolian women pastoralists for improved nutrition and increased resilience.

Mongolia at a glance • Landlocked country with extreme continental climate. • 90% of territory - desertification - rangelands, supporting about 60 million heads

of livestock and numerous population of wild animals• 62% of the whole territory is affected by drought in 2016. Total 62,719 herder

families/42% are affected and lived in poor condition. • Widespread drought in the summer of 2015 covering 1/3 of the country, winter

situation of 2015/2016 has reached the level of dzud emergency. • Frost on the soil reached -50C and on the air -30/-35C on average• Herders had to use up all reserve hay and forage prepared for winter within first

month to keep the animals alive. As National Emergency Agency reports, 70 per cent of total territory was affected by dzud in 2016

• As of 4 April, 720 000 livestock is lost nationwide

Winter condition & Risk levels as of Nov 2016

Extreme HighMedium ModerateLow

Risk level

Source: http://icc.mn/index.php?&lang=en

Women pastoralists for improved nutrition

and increased resilience• Pastoralists in Mongolia have faced

• both climate-related shocks (such as droughts and winter freezes — dzuds) • rapid economic change.

• In response, they have taken collective action to reduce risks to their income, nutrition and wellbeing. Collective management has helped store animal fodder for hard times and diversification has raised herders’ incomes, which better protects food security.

• Pastoralist women have played multi-functional roles

• Pastoralist women ensure food security, safeguard seeds and breeds, create employment through adding value to the livestock products, and transfer knowledge to youth

• Developing alternative income sources based on the livestock products such as milk, meat, leather, wool and cashmere

SEMI-INTENSIVE, INTENSIVE LIVESTOCK

-Dairy Cows, Poultry and Swine - High/Semi-high inputs

- Need to manage manure, carbon foot print, use locally

grown crops for feed to improve sustainability

EXTENSIVE LIVESTOCK - Sheep, goat, camel, cow, yak,

horse and reindeer - Agroecological products based

on rangeland fed animals- Need branding, efficient

value chains and marketing to increase income

 

MONGOLIAN AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK

Within the framework of FAO`s PKHub and GASL, Mongolia is developing NASL

Wool and cashmere as alternative income for

better nutrition and healthy diet

Yak milk rich in calcium and

iron, under the extreme-high

altitude

High levels of antioxidant vitamins, specific enzymes, and bacteria with probiotic

activity 

Lamb - High quality protein, B vitamin –

healthy immune system

Nutrition and healthy diet • Insufficient amount of vitamin and micronutrients

• Average daily intake of vegetables for adults, 1.6 serving size is more than twice less than WHO recommendation of 4 serving size per day.

• Rural population is more susceptible to micronutrients deficiency and the per capita energy intake for low income families was 1,728.2 kcal, which is only 63.3% of the total requirement.

• Children under 5 years old seriously suffer from nutritional anemia, rickets, micronutrients deficiency such as vitamin A, D and zinc that affect sizeable proportion of pregnant women

Summary • Ways of survival and resilience:

– Livestock herding, production, processing and marketing– Integration in value chains, diversified market opportunities– Introducing innovation technology – Capacity building (such as financial literacy, obtaining info)– Awareness raising on nutrition and healthy diet

• Reform in life attitudes and policy coordination and shift from Quantity to Quality!

• Women pastoralists` engagement in national and global platforms such as MANIP, WAMIP/WOPA, FAO Pastoralist Knowledge Hub, GASL and ICN2 follow up actions

Lorem ipsum dolorWomen pastoralists play an important role towards increasing resilience to climate change; they must be

supported by provision of improved market opportunities, technology and capacity building, and awareness raising on

nutrition and healthy diet.

Thank you for your attention!