League for Pastoral Peoples Report 2020 | UPSC
HEADLINES:
How many Indians are pastoralists? No official data, but report says 13 mln
WHY IN NEWS:
A figure of 35 million is often quoted, but without a source, claims report
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Agriculture : Report
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS grab the definitions and go through this report twice . It is an important report .
For MAINS note down the solutions and conclusion part . Do you think a census is needed for pastoralists in India ?
ISSUE:
LEAGUE FOR PASTORAL PEOPLES REPORT 2020
TITLE
League for pastoral peoples and endogenous livestock development Report – Accounting for pastoralists in India.
PUBLISHED BY
League for pastoral peoples , Rainfed Livestock Network, LIFE Network.
DEFINITIONS
- LPP defines pastoralism as the “dependence on common pool resources, mobility, primary income from livestock, existence of traditional knowledge systems and association with specific breeds.
- They inhabit those parts of the world where the potential for crop cultivation is limited due to lack of rainfall, steep terrain or extreme temperatures.
REPORT ANALYSIS
KEYPOINTS
- Estimates of the number of pastoralists in India vary widely, but they probably total around 13 million people.
- Official data on livestock do not reflect the management system used.
- Around 77% of the country’s livestock are kept in extensive systems.
- Both farmers and pastoralists rely on common-pool resources to maintain their animals.
- Species maintained in mobile systems include camels, cattle, ducks, donkeys, goats, pigs, sheep and yaks.
- Many pastoralists are members of traditional castes, but other groups, known as “non-traditional pastoralists”, are also taking up mobile herding.
- The animals’ manure is a vital source of fertilizer for crop farmers.
PASTORALISTS IN INDIA
- Pastoralism is not an official category in India. No official definition exists.
- A wide range of pastoralist systems exist, from fully mobile to transhumant and sedentary.
- According to the National Sample Survey, only one per cent of the land owned by farmers is used for livestock.
- There has been some focus on pastoralists, especially within the purview of the Schedule Tribe .
- Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) seen in the recent years.
- Section 3 of the Act specifies community forest rights of uses such as fishing, grazing (both settled or transhumant) and resource access to pastoralist communities.
SOLUTIONS
- Instead of amassing animals in huge factories, we need to decentralise livestock so that they can make use of local resources.
- This including crop waste products and the scattered vegetation in marginal areas, such as deserts and mountainous zones.
- This approach hinges on the commitment, knowledge and expertise of livestock keepers.
- Livestock keepers contributing to food security and providing healthy food.
- We must provide them with secure access to grazing areas and with services, market opportunities as well as access to appropriate education.
ABOUT LPP
- The League for Pastoral Peoples was founded in 1992.
- Its initial mandate was to support pastoral societies.
- It supports other small-scale livestock keepers to pursue their own vision of development through research, technical support, advisory services and advocacy.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- Pastoralists are important for food production, ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, maintenance of landscapes.
- They practice a sustainable, low carbon, animal welfare friendly way of livestock production.
If we want to put the livestock sector on a sustainable trajectory, we need to support these kinds of systems and reign in others that are less beneficial.
SOURCES:DOWNTOEARTH | League for Pastoral Peoples Report 2020 | UPSC
Must Read Articles :
DISCOVER MORE : REPORTS
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis & Answer writing video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
