The United Nation Organization declared. The year 2024 International Year of Camélids

 

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NEWSLETTER 9                                                                      05.03.202  

The United Nation Organization declared.  The year 2024 International Year of Camélids

 The UN has designated 2024 as the International Year of Camelids  (IYC 2024) which are an important source of livelihood for millions of nomads and pastoralists families in dryland and déserts rangeland ecosystems, around the world. The Year 2024 will highlight how camelids are key to the livelihoods of millions of households in hostile environments across over 90 countries. The IYC is meant to raise the public's and policymakers' awareness of the significant role of camelids in protecting ecosystems, conserving biodiversity, assuring food security and adapting to climate change. The resolution for the IYC, proposed by the Government of Bolivia , was approved by the UN General Assembly on 17 October 2017 upon recommendation by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN). FAO officially launched the IYC 2024 on 4 December 2023 in Rome, Italy .

This year 2024 will undoubtedly see many events around camelids: meetings, conferences, workshops, special issues of scientific journals, book releases, various commitments. These many events which will not be missed. The FAO has already produced a short presentation film on Face Book, to watch (go to #yearofcamelids). For its part, “the league of pastoral peoples” launched on this occasion a manifesto in defense of the pastoral and nomadic peoples of the world who live from the breeding of large and small camelids.

A group of civil-society organizations issued a statement to draw the attention of scientists, governments, donors, policymakers, and the private sector to the distinct ecological and cultural aspects that should be considered when striving to support the development of camelid-keeping systems and related value chains.

So far, nineteen (19) civil society organizations have already signed a declaration calling for increased efforts to support the development of camelids breeding around the world. Camelids include domesticated species (alpacas, llamas, dromedaries and Bactrian camels, as well as wild species (guanacos, vicuñas and wild Bactrians). Camelids are necessary to the life of breeders in the arid zones of North Africa, the African Sahel  and East Africa, the Andes of South America, as well as the deserts and steppes of the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Australia.

The civil society statement calls on governments to ensure that pastoralists can remain mobile so that they can continue to seek pasture and water in these harsh environments and maintain economic activity in these vast desert spaces. This declaration also calls for investments in small dairies and decentralized infrastructure so that breeders can access markets and sell their products, as well as better provision of veterinary services to fight against the many infectious, viral, parasitic and other pathologies, which affect their livestock, and maintain their animals in good health. It highlights the need to establish standards for the welfare of camelids and to avoid industrial management practices that have become typical of other farmed animal species. 

2024 has been designated the International Year of the Camelid by the United Nations.

MVI has just joined this call with its main partner "Les Grands Moulins du Sud (GMS) which participates in all events organized by MV concerning indigenous breeds and in particular dromedaries, . It is important to point out that MVI is a network of veterinary competences, one of whose activities concerns research and development of indigenous animal breeds, in the service of breeding, animal health, public health, animal productions quality and food products,

MVI's activities on camels and indigenous breeds. Since 2020, MVI's activities have been largely devoted to dromedaries by events (international days, workshops, colloquium ...) on the development of indigenous breeds in Tunisia, with the Dromedary as leader,  : 

•        Tozeur January 2020

•        Kerkena November 2020

•        Tataouine March 2021

•        Tabarka May 2022

•        Beni Mhira May 2023

•        Djerba November 2023

And, in preparation, the international forum of the dromedary and ruminant species in Kairouan on May 25, 2024 marking the participation of MVI in the global event that is the IYC.

Camelids contribute to food security, nutrition and economic growth as well as holding a strong cultural and social significance for communities across the world. Dromaderies and other camelids play an important role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to the fight against hunger, the eradication of poverty, the empowerment of women and the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. From providing milk, meat and fibre for communities to transport for products and people, and organic fertilizer, camelids thrive where other livestock species cannot surviveCamelids play a key role in the culture, economy, food security and livelihoods of communities in Andean highlands and in the arid and semi-arid lands in Africa and Asia, including Indigenous Peoples. Even in extreme climatic conditions they continue to produce nutritious food and fibre. Indeed, the IYC presents a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the role of camelids in building resilience to climate change – particularly in arid and semi-arid lands.The IYC 2024 aims to build awareness of the untapped potential of camelids and to call for increased investment in the camelid sector, advocating for greater research, capacity development and the use of innovative practices and technologies.

Until FAO starts preparing for this year, several organizations involved in the IYRP initiative,  including the League of Pastoral Peoples (LPP), are drawing attention to the IYC; but the first international event of the IYC 2024 was the International Workshop on Camelid Pastoralism, held on 5–10 January 2024 in Sadri, Rajasthan, India, hosted by Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS), the League for Pastoral Peoples (LPP) and the Godwar camel pastoralist milk producers. See below the statement issued by the workshop participants.

MVI’ EXCOM