livestock and livelihoods

[Guest guest]

These are such important points. Twenty-five years ago, in 1979, Dan

Morgan's bestseller "Merchants of Grain" very forcefully made the case

for one of the points touched on here:

 

US aid to developing countries in the form of food grains is not meant

primarily to relieve hunger -- it is primarily meant to subsidize US

farmers, so they will vote for and donate to members of the US Congress

who enact such policies.

 

It is also a shame that valuable indigenous cattle breeds are being lost

due to misguided attempts at modernization. But it's good that writers

like the one below continue to try to call public attention to what's

being lost.

 

ys

hkdd

 

 

 

Rosalie Malik wrote:

 

>from "Livestock and Livelihoods" by Nitya Ghotge

>

>" .....different departments, different agencies and the state have begun the

>process of alienating animals from their land and change spreads in tentackes

>on unsuspecting victims,

>

>

>1 A shift from cattle rearing to buffalo rearing in irrigated areas.

>2 Disappearnce of important draught breeds of cattle.

>3 shortages of fodder;l variety, quality and quantity

>4 Enormous increase of of nondescript breeds esp. in marginal areas which are

>hardy but produce very little.

>.

>This is the present state of cows and bulls in India/

>

>As for the future of the population. a food and trade analyst, Devinder

Sharma

>has this to say

>

>"because of decreasing domestic support,farmers in developing countries will

>shift to the seemingly more profitable horticulture and plantation crops,

while

>developed countries will continue grwoing food grain crops with domestic

>subsidy arrangements. ....developing countries will be forced to buy food

>grains from developed nations," ( Down to EArth June 15 )

>

>the worst is yet to come.

> ys Labangalatika dasi

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>-----------------------

>To from this mailing list, send an email to:

>Cow-Owner (AT) pamho (DOT) net

>

>