"Advocating livestock keepers' rights", a report of LPP's work at the International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources at Interlaken, Switzerland in September 2007, is now available.

The report details LPP's work in the build-up to the conference and during the conference itself, analyses the outcomes and outlines plans for future work.

LPP's preparatory work included organizing two workshops for livestock keepers and government delegates, in India and Ethiopia, and producing a film "Keepers of genes" and a book with the same title.

LPP enabled a delegation of Raika pastoralists to attend the Interlaken conference. Along with other members of the LIFE and Endogenous Livestock Development networks, LPP also facilitated representatives from Africa, Latin America and Asia to attend. LPP and its partners organized four side events at the conference, focusing on the livestock genetics industry, livestock keepers' rights, endogenous livestock development, and animal genetic resources in India. Media and advocacy work tied to the conference have resulted in numerous press articles and broadcasts.

Members of the LIFE Network were invited to participate in the regional government meetings to discuss technical issues and the wording of legal documents.

The global plan of action, adopted by the government delegates at the end of the conference, recognizes the important role of local and indigenous communities in upholding livestock diversity. However, it casts animal genetic resources as an issue to be controlled and managed by the state, and gives livestock keepers only a supporting role.

LPP's work on this topic has been possible because of support from numerous organizations, including Miseroer, GTZ, FAO, EED, Swedbio, the HIVOS-NOVIB-OXFAM Biodiversity Fund, DEZA, Bread for the World, Swissaid, and the Christensen Fund.

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