LEAD (Livestock, Environment And Development) is a multi-institutional initiative of FAO formed to promote ecologically sustainable livestock production systems. It promotes research on livestock environment interactions; creates awareness on the complex interactions of human needs, animal production and the sustainability of global natural resources. It facilitates in developing guidelines, methodologies, processes for analysis and decision support tools for decision makers, practitioners and implementers to promulgate policies that encourage use of sustainable production systems.

http://virtualcentre.org/in/index.htm

For large numbers of small and marginal farmers, livestock are often the only capital reserve of farming households, to be sold when times are hard. Animal draught power and nutrient recycling through manure compensates for unattainable access to tractors and fertilizers. Livestock, in one way or another, are critical to sustaining poor farmers. A number of different factors serve to underline the importance of livestock in general, and smallstock in particular, to the livelihoods of poor farmers:   For More about the importance of smallstock... 

http://www.smallstock.info/index.htm

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. FAO is also a source of knowledge and information. We help developing countries and countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all. Since our founding in 1945, we have focused special attention on developing rural areas, home to 70 percent of the world's poor and hungry people. FAO's activities comprise four main areas: (i) Putting information within reach; (ii) Sharing policy expertise; (iii) Providing a meeting place for nations; and (iv) Bringing knowledge to the field.

http://www.fao.org/

Watersheds have become recognised as a key and discrete development unit in rural development. To achieve sustainable increase of productivity and management, integrated approaches have been recommended. The intensification and diversification of production is viewed from a livelihood perspective. For sustainable livelihoods, the trade-off between agricultural productivity, equity and sustainability is critical. A preliminary study on Livestock-Environment Interactions in Watersheds in India concluded that the Watershed Development Policy of the Government of India does not include a livestock component. Because of this, livestock is not systematically included in watershed management projects and the socio-economic and environmental importance of livestock is not analysed. The need to fill this void calls for an in depth study of the actual policy framework and recommendations for to improve the design and policies of future programmes. For the LEAD Initiative one of the critical "hotspots" of the livestock and environment interaction is the watershed and land degradation. To achieve a sustainable livestock production and to encourage stewardship of resources, the people that depend on the land for their livelihood must have a say in, and more responsibility for its management. Measures must also be adopted to improve marketing and institutions for drought preparedness and to ensure access rights to grazing and water resources. Please visit us at the following addrress to know more on the recent studies and achievements on the subject:

http://www.virtualcentre.org/watershed

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