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Nomads important to ecomonies, trade - study

07 Feb 2007 16:40:42 GMT
Source: Reuters

NAIROBI, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Nomadic herding is much more important to global trade and developing nations' economies than often thought and can be the best use of land in some of the poorest parts of the world, a study said on Wednesday.

From cashmere goat herders in China to cattle keepers in Ethiopia, pastoral communities are often the most effective users of dry lands, it said, compared with big ranches that worsened climate change by felling trees and clearing bushes.

"Pastoralism can be up to ten times more productive than commercial ranching under the same conditions," Jonathan Davies of the World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism, said in a statement. "However, pastoralists have often been deprived of their rights in favour of ranches."

The study said nomadic lifestyles were often seen as backward, but contributed up to 80 percent of the agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in some African countries.

In Mongolia, pastoral herders accounted for a third of total GDP, while 78 million Chinese goats produced up to three-quarters of the world's cashmere, it said.

In Ethiopia, where the leather industry is dominated by pastoralists, the report said the sector exported goods worth tens of millions of dollars every year.

"Our study shows investments in the sustainable herding of nomads will not only help overcome their poverty, but also hugely benefit national economies," said Richard Hatfield, co-author of the report.

The initiative is a joint project of the World Conservation Union and U.N. Development Programme.

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Last updated:Wed Feb 7 16:41:12 2007