Tuareg ethnoveterinary treatments of camel diseases in Agadez area (Niger)

peer reviewedFor generations, nomadic herders have been learning to manage herd health, particularly in dromedaries because of their great value. Owing to the unavailability of veterinary services, camel herders in remote areas have been developing their own pharmacopoeia and veterinary techniques. The bleeding of sick animals is a common treatment, as Tuareg herders believe that 'tainted blood' (izni) is the cause of many conditions. Several surgical techniques are also used, such as excision of calcified sublingual cord. The remedies mentioned in this survey are derived from Maerua crassifolia, Boscia senegalensis, Acacia raddiana, Cucumis prophetarum, Calotropis procera, Ricinus communis, Citrullus colocynthis, green tea, millet, tobacco and onions. Artificial elements are also used for treatment of animals: Powders collected from batteries, various haircare or skincare creams, crushed glass, insecticides or motor oil belong to their pharmacopoeia. This broadmindedness allows the introduction of modern veterinary medicine. Factors such as the lack of real production objectives constitute limits to this progress, however

Stable carbon Isotope evidence for neolithic and bronze age crop water management in the eastern mediterranean and southwest asia

In a large study on early crop water management, stable carbon isotope discrimination was determined for 275 charred grain samples from nine archaeological sites, dating primarily to the Neolithic and Bronze Age, from the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia. This has revealed that wheat (Triticum spp.) was regularly grown in wetter conditions than barley (Hordeum sp.), indicating systematic preferential treatment of wheat that may reflect a cultural preference for wheat over barley. Isotopic analysis of pulse crops (Lens culinaris, Pisum sativum and Vicia ervilia) indicates cultivation in highly varied water conditions at some sites, possibly as a result of opportunistic watering practices. The results have also provided evidence for local land-use and changing agricultural practices

COMMUNITY PROTOCOLS AS TOOLS FOR RESISTING EXCLUSION IN GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the rise of the community protocol approach under the access and benefit-sharing (ABS) transnational governance arena, to understand how local initiatives translate a global environmental regulation. This paper contributes to the literature on transnational governance by showing how this is constituted by a series of translation processes and each time a concept is introduced in a transnational arena and then translated by a community or organization, it gains new forms and uses depending on the interests and experiences of the actors involved. However, the same concept used for the same goal by communities in different parts of the world led to different concrete outcomes, which points to the idea that the outcomes in translation processes are not only ongoing but also unpredictable. In addition, the cases illustrate that in the process of actively translating a global regulation, the local actors themselves also change. Finally, the emergent findings show how community protocols were translated to become translocal tools to resist exclusion in environmental governance through two main mechanisms: connecting goals and practices and (re)connecting social networks

Camel market channels in the Jailsaimer district of Rajasthan, India

International audienceIn a survey focused on Jaisalmer district (India), 136 camel farmers living in 64 villages were interviewed on their market practices. Milk market and camel slaughtering were not developed in the Jaisalmer district and the most common source of income was the sale of living young male camels. According to the birth rate (17%), the insignificant purchasing rate, the selling rate (7%), the loss (2%) and the mortality rate (4%), the in-flow of animais was higher than the total out-flow, leading to a camel population growth rate of 3.34%. The final use of the sold animais was not known in most of the cases. 52% of the animais were purchased by merchant coming from (out of the district), 7% by local merchants, 30% by other camel farmers and 7% by tourist guides. The camel marketing out of the Jaisalmer district did not seem to contribute to the announced decline of the camel population for the whole Rajasthan, and could be an opportunity for the development of the camel farming in this area.Cent trente six éleveurs de dromadaires de soixante quatre villages du district de Jaisalmer, au Rajasthan, ont été interrogés du 10 avril au 21 août 2007. L’objectif initial de l’étude était de connaître les différents flux d’animaux au niveau des élevages et les dynamiques des filières de ventes des dromadaires dans le district. Un questionnaire permettant de collecter des informations sur les flux d’animaux dans les élevages et les aspects commerciaux des transactions a donc été soumis aux éleveurs. L’analyse des résultats indique que les éleveurs de dromadaires n’achètent en général que peu d’animaux : 86 % n’ont pas acheté de dromadaires depuis une période F:\PDF PRODINRA\Publis SELMET 0868\CamelMarketIndia.doc supérieure à 10 ans. Seuls 14 % ont acheté des animaux au cours des deux dernières années. Cette dernière catégorie est notamment constituée des éleveurs qui achètent chaque année des animaux dans un objectif de revente ( 4 % du total interrogé). Le marché du lait, et les activités bouchères sont, dans le district de Jaisalmer, très peu développées. Le revenu des élevages de dromadaires dépend entièrement de la vente d’animaux en vif. Les animaux vendus sont à 98 % des mâles de 4 à 7 ans. Les acheteurs de ces animaux sont de diverses origines : 52 % sont les marchands extérieurs au district, 7 % sont des marchands locaux, 30 % sont constitués d’éleveurs du district et 7 % sont des guides touristiques. Les dromadaires sont vendus à 33 % directement dans les villages, à 8 % sur les foires locales, à 61 % dans les grosses foires des districts voisins. Les animaux vendus sont à 82 % revendus, 2,7 % servent à la reproduction, 5,3 % sont destinés à la traction de charrettes pour les besoins privés, et 10 % servent pour le tourisme. Concernant l’ensemble des dromadaires vendus, on constate que 82 % sont exportés hors du district. Les flux d’animaux semblent plutôt favorables au développement de cet élevage par le fait que seuls les mâles sont vendus, le potentiel de reproduction du troupeau du district n’est donc pas affecté. Si l’utilisation des animaux pour la production de viande semble exclue dans le district et sur l’ensemble du Rajasthan, on peut supposer que de leur utilisation dans les états de destinationtels l’Uttar Pradesh ou les pays limitrophes comme le Bangladesh. Les potentiels commerciaux de l’élevage de dromadaires du district mis en avant par l’étude sont un atout pour cet élevage qui peuvent être complété par la valorisation d’autres produits tels le lait ou l’utilisation pour le tourism