Many local livestock breeds and minor species are in decline and may be lost because they cannot compete with high-yielding exotic breeds. Conserving these breeds is important: many have unique traits, such as hardiness and disease resistance, that are vital for future livestock production. One way to help ensure their survival may be to sell products from these breeds to high-value, specialist markets.

The Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources acknowledges the importance of market access to the sustainable use of livestock diversity and calls for development of markets for products derived from local species and breeds, and for strengthening processes that add value to their products.

This publication describes eight examples of marketing of livestock products (wool, cashmere, milk, meat and hides) from local breeds of Bactrian camels, dromedaries, goats and sheep in seven countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It shows how they have kept local breeds in use, while enabling the small-scale livestock keepers and pastoralists who raise them to improve their livelihoods.

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• List of contributors
• Executive summary
• Introduction
  Ilse Köhler-Rollefson and Paul Mundy

1 Wool and cashmere

• Introduction

• Marketing wool from an endangered sheep breed in the Deccan Plateau of India
  Gopi Krishna, PR Sheshagiri Rao, and Kamal Kishore

• Cashmere from the Pamirs: Helping mountain farmers in Kyrgyzstan
  Carol Kerven and Sabyr Toigonbaev

• Spinning a value chain from the Gobi: Camel wool in Mongolia
  Sabine Schmidt, Altanchimeg Chimiddorj, Nancy Shand and Dean Officer

• Marketing of handicrafts made from Linca sheep wool in Patagonia, Argentina
  Luciana Cardinaletti, Julieta von Thüngen and María Rosa Lanari

2 Meat and hides

• Introduction

• Umzimvubu Goats: Adding value to an under-utilized indigenous resource in South Africa
  Merida Roets, Zama Mandisi Madikizela and Mpho Mazubane

• Marketing Criollo goat meat under a protected designation of origin seal in Argentina
  Facundo Lopez Raggi, Marcelo Perez Centeno, María Rosa Lanari, and Julieta von Thüngen

3 Milk

• Introduction

• Tiviski: A dairy that sources milk from pastoralists in Mauritania
  Maryam Abeiderrahmane and Nancy Abeiderrahmane

• The golden udder: Marketing milk from camels in Puntland, Somalia
  Michele Nori

4 Analysis

• Paul Mundy, Evelyn Mathias and writeshop participants

5 Participants’ profiles

Reviews

New Agriculturist

www.new-ag.info/book/review.php?a=1576

Over centuries, local livestock breeds kept by smallscale livestock keepers and pastoralists have been adapted to specific habitats. "Many have unique traits, such as disease resistance and drought tolerance, and represent an important source of genetic diversity that animal breeders can use in responding to pest and disease outbreaks and climate change," the authors write. "They are also integral parts of their environments that help sustain biodiversity. Many play a central role in the cultures of the people who keep them." But an estimated 430 breeds of cattle, sheep and chickens have already become extinct. In order to tackle this erosion, Adding value to livestock diversity focuses on the promotion of niche markets for the products of local livestock breeds.

From cashmere in Kyrgyzstan, to milk in Mauritania, and camel wool in Mongolia, Adding value to livestock diversity succinctly describes eight case studies that have found ways to create markets for their products through innovative marketing and branding, and by improving organisation, production, processing and distribution. In Argentina, a group of local institutions in Patagonia has applied for a Protected Domain of Origin designation for the meat of the local Criollo goat, while a network of women have formed a community sales outlet to sell traditional items made from the local Linca sheep's wool. And in Mauritania, a private dairy that buys milk from pastoralist herders is currently trying to acquire regulatory approval to export camel cheese to the European Union.

According to the authors, "finding niche markets for their products is one possible way of ensuring the survival of these breeds, and enabling the people who keep them to earn more from their existing lifestyle."

Available from

LPP, LIFE Network, IUCN–WISP and FAO. 2010. Adding value to livestock diversity – Marketing to promote local breeds and improve livelihoods. FAO Animal Production and Health Paper 168. Rome.

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Role of Paul Mundy: Writeshop manager, editor