Livestock Policies in the Rangeland and Grassland Areas. Crossed Viewpoints on Convergences and Divergences

J.F. Tourrand, P.Valarié (Dir.)
Ed. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brasil

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Based on 12 case studies, the main objectives of the project are:

(i) Describe for each case study the livestock policies over a long-term period (at least 50-80 years);

(ii) Analyze the main changes according to the four followings drivers: technical changes, market and supply chains, socio-demographic trends and public policies;

(iii) Define relevant crossed viewpoints about the changes at local, national and global scale, especially the convergences and divergences.

The long-term interactions at local scale between natural resources management, livestock farming and national policies explain a part of the contrasts among the regions. Nowadays, one of the major convergences is the effect of global issues on the national and local livestock policies, mainly the environmental impacts of animal husbandry and the international demand in animal products. Although rangeland and grassland always define livestock farming based on the management of local natural resources, another major convergence is linked to the socio-technical changes in livestock farming, especially due to the NTIC (New Technologies of Information and Communications) and the demand of farmers, particularly new generation regarding livelihoods and work conditions. So, if until the last decades of the 20th Century, the local context and the national governance significantly structured the livestock policies, the on-going globalization seems to reduce the differences among the regions, especially in socio-technical issues.

Furthermore, contrasted strategies appeared facing globalization, sometimes in the same regions, according to the available resources and opportunities, the local and national interest, the mental models about livestock farming in the past, currently and in the future. Some of these strategies are in the way of the globalization. They are focusing on the production of commodities with specific policies aiming the local development based on the economics. Others strategies are more focusing on local added-values and aiming sustainable development at local scale, as for example organic production, niche markets, direct producers-consumers short chain. They are also supported by specific public policies.

In conclusion, the livestock policies are following a double trend including firstly the globalization of which it profits and in the same time it supports, and secondly the local sustainable development.

The 12 case studies contacted for the book are: 

- North Senegal: Sahel and South Saharan biome,

- Plain du Gharb, Morocco: irrigated farming system in arid zone

- NWCZ, Egypt: Bedouin area in North Sahara desert

- Southern Patagonia, Argentina: cold and arid zone

- North Uruguay: Pampa or Campos biome

- Eastern Amazon, Brazil: colonized Amazon biome

- Special Areas, Western Canada

- Dairy Land / Wisconsin, USA 

- Mountains in South of France

- The Qilian Mountains, China: Tibetan Plateau biome

- North Vietnam

- New Zealand