Nineteen civil society organizations have so far signed a statement calling for greater efforts to support the development of camelids around the world.
Camelids include domesticated alpacas, llamas, dromedaries and Bactrian camels, plus guanacos, vicunas and wild Bactrians, which are wild species.
Domesticated camelids are vital for herders in the Andes of South America, the drylands of the Sahel and East Africa, and the deserts and steppes of the Middle East and Central Asia.
The civil-society statement calls on governments to ensure that herders can remain mobile so they can continue to find pasture and water in these harsh environments. It also calls for investments in small dairies and decentralized infrastructure so herders can sell their products, and better provision of veterinary services to keep their livestock healthy.
It stresses the need for standards for camelid welfare and the avoidance of the industrial management practices that have become typical of other livestock species.
2024 has been designated as the International Year of Camelids by the United Nations.

Download the statement.

Do you represent a civil-society organization? Contact info@pastoralpeoples.org to sign up to the statement.