Project Objectives: The project has set the following objectives:

? To conserve the processes of evolution and adaptation of animal populations to their environments;
? To conserve diversity at all levels - ecosystem, species and within species (breeds and genes);
? To conserve ecosystem services that is critical to the functioning of the Earth?s life-support system (maintaining soil-forming processes, reducing chemical pollution, restricting the spread of animal and plant diseases, etc.);

1) Organizing community enterprises for providing livelihood support for the socially and economically disadvantaged sections of the community by encouraging the husbandry of traditional livestock breeds in modified management conditions to produce more. That is, to strengthen livestock based income generation activities for the resource poor women groups in the project area with the help of financial institutions.
2) To bring about the coordinated community initiatives for broad based action plans to ensure the survival of a population of animals as defined by the range of genetically controlled characteristics that it exhibits.

3) To document the rules evolved by different communities to maintain breed characteristics; traditional concepts and knowledge in animal productivity management practices.

4) To initiate policy advocacy on the rights of local communities, farmers and breeders on the regulation, access and benefit-sharing of animal genetic resources.

5) To understand the gender dimension of the knowledge system for a meaningful and productive conservation agenda. While men are involved in breeding of many domesticated species, it is the women maintained and managed the livestock and developed variety of their products.

6) To build the capacities of the community and to strengthen their groups to further the objectives of the project.

7) To utilize the advances in molecular biology and animal biotechnology for conservation and propagation of rare breeds. A mini analytical laboratory would be established and manned by the principal investigator.

To develop systems to make conserved material (e.g. semen for local use) or conditions easily accessible to farmers

The project would achieve the following outputs:
1.Characterization and documentation of the traditional breeds that have been conserved by the communities for obvious economic benefits. An estimated 3 in buffaloes and two in cattle would be mapped and published.

2.Development of infrastructure for community livestock enterprise to ensure continuation of the program for utilization of breeds for the economic gain by the target groups

3.Revival and conservation of traditional breeds of cattle and buffaloes.
Investigating and documentation of the traditional knowledge in breeding and husbandry of the traditional breeds and cultural linkages associated with the practices.

4.Evaluation of the impact of economic development on the maintenance of diversity at the farmer?s level so that the processes can be taken in to account while implementing such conservation programs
Knowledge Networking:
a. Formation of 2 cluster community groups for conservation of breeds or population identified as endangered ones, adoption of conservation and up gradation techniques by these target groups for sustainable livestock production activities. These groups would be provided with need based scientific resources to accomplish the task more effectively.
b. Identification and documentation of the existing outstanding traditional breeders and their practices. Development of at least 5 animal breeders of specific types in the project area, culminating to the formation of a livestock breeder?s association to mobilize the required resources.
c. Formation of a resource group consisting of experts from Veterinary University, Animal Husbandry department, NGO?s and renowned individuals in the field for advisory support.
5. Creating awareness about the role of traditional breeds in the livelihood systems of small and marginal landholders, importance of integrated farming systems in sustainable and organic agriculture in the target villages.
6. Sensitize the community towards concern for CPRM, conservation and judicious use of fodder resources and other dynamics affecting productivity of the livestock. Regional workshops will be organized for this purpose.

Project Activities:

1.Exploratory Survey:
Survey of the existing traditional livestock in the project villages.
Identification of the traditional livestock breeders and documenting their practices. Organizing them to mobilize the requisite resources to strengthen their operations.

2.Community Mobilization:
The principal approach and philosophy of the project is to involve the community in all stages of project activities. Article 8 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity states that genetic resources should be conserved in the "surroundings where they have developed their distinct properties" - which with respect to livestock is a reference to the farming and pastoral communities that have nurtured local breeds. . Clearly, the spirit of the CBD calls for a participatory approach to animal genetic resource conservation. The local communities have a vested interest in all the natural resources (including animal genetic resources) on which their livelihoods depends and they have a better understanding of how to manage their traditional resources sustainably.

The nodal agency and the principal consultant have good experience in working with the farmers in the area. The farmers are involved in other developmental projects by the organizations in participatory planning, monitoring and implementation of such programs.
? Initial dialogue with the local community and identification of the project stakeholders. That is, the target community groups comprising farmers and agricultural laborers who are below the poverty line, own traditional livestock breeds and are active members of the Self Help Groups (SHG?s) in the operating villages.
? Mapping of available traditional livestock and fodder resources by conducting Participatory Rural Appraisals
? Identification and characterization of breeds, if any are there unidentified in the literature
? Documenting the traditional practices in livestock management and development
? Awareness campaigns and capacity building programs for the stake holders
? Development of time bound action plans by the community and it?s implementation

3.Organization of community owned and managed institutions. All the target community groups in 10 villages would be clustered to form ?Livestock Breeder?s Association?. All the target group members would become the members of the LBA?s by paying their membership fee. A representative from each village acts as management committee member for the respective LBA. Two such associations are designed to carry on the core project activities as per the guidance and support from the lead organization. These two LBA?s would represent the two distinct breeding tracts and would manage community infrastructure like community cattle shed, breeding bulls, feeds and fodder facilities, trained breeding personnel at their disposal. The LBA?s help it?s members in producing the superior breed calves by maintaining superior males for a nominal fee. The LBA?s would become self-sustainable over the project period generating it?s own resources. In a way, these would act as community enterprises to further the larger interests of the project.

4. Population Conservation-in situ
One advantage of ?On farm conservation? is that it conserves both the genetic material and the processes that give rise to the diversity. Hence, the Interventions supporting continued evolution (in response to changes in the production system) are carried out. The superior males would be identified based on the community judgments for breeding for better performance of the herds. Here the performance parameters are decided by the community.

5.Technical input services and resource mobilization: A system of provision for cost effective input services for those maintaining the animals those are uneconomical in the short run, but are very important in propagation of certain useful traits in the conservation and development program. Services like conducting integrated animal health camp (including vaccination, deworming, etc) and breed improvement program, chopping of coarse fodder, improved feeding practices (like use of balanced ration and UMMB?s), neaonatal care are required to be provided to members/target group on regular basis. Resources are also required for administering the breeders? network/association.
6. Action plan for development of traditional feeds and fodder resources would be initiated simultaneously, the stream of activity involving documenting, dissemination and propagation of species/methods/materials
7. Knowledge networking- organizing group meetings, seminars and field trips to disseminate, corroborate and upgrade the practices by the target communities.
8. Publication of the findings on new breeds that are characterized, the scientific significance of the achievement, etc