A paper about LPP’s “Ark of Biodiversity” project that is supported by the Fondation d’Entreprise Hermes was presented during the IFOAM Conference on Organic Animal Husbandry held in Hamburg from 12-14th September. It clearly states that locally adapted breeds are the foundation for “green” and ecological livestock development. The presentation is available here.

On the day after the Livestock Futures Conference, several of the speakers and participants joined German and European shepherds at the national sheepdog competition that took place in Duisburg-Walsum. Despite language barriers they discovered many commonalities and exchnged experiences with respect to electronic sheep identification – an EU legal requirement that is causing quite a few hardships, as Hilary Liebeschuetz from the Shetland Islands described.

The group also discussed their concerns with Friedrich Ostendorff, member of the German parliament and deputy chair of the German Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture.

LPP and the LIFE Network will host a side-event entitled “Caravans of Biodiversity” that will highlight Indian pastoralists, their breeds and their role in producing nutritious and delicious food during the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Hydrabad. It will take place on Friday, 12th October from 13.15 – 14.45 hrs. The programme will be posted here shortly.