Camels and Camelids

Curriculum Vitae - Ilse Köhler-Rollefson (Member)

Ilse Köhler-Rollefson
Academic

1971-77

Study of veterinary medicine at the Veterinary College Hannover and the Free University in Berlin. State Examination in veterinary medicine. (“Tierärztliches Staatsexamen”).

1979-81

Doctoral degree at the Institute of Zoology, Veterinary College Hannover. Title of the Dissertation: "On the domestication of the camel"

1999

Habilitation in “History of Veterinary Medicine” at LMU University, Munich.

Title of the Thesis: “Camel culture and camel husbandry among the

Raika in India: a contribution to the comparative study of human-animal relationships.”

UNIVERSITY RESEARCH POSITIONS

1983-84

Research Associate at the Centre for Jordanian Studies, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan.

1984-92

Adjunct Professor, Department of Anthropology, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA.

4/93-

2/94

Reintegration Fellowship for Women at the Institute of Zoology, TH Darmstadt. (Prof. Dr. Kinzelbach)

2/94-

3/95

Feodor von Lynen Fellowship of the Alexander v. Humboldt Foundation for research at the J.N.V. University at Jodhpur, India.

4/95-

12/96

“Habilitationsstipendium” of the German Research Council (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

1986

Two lectures on “Animal domestication in the Near East” and on “Camel domestication” at a National Endowment of the Humanities Seminar for college teachers at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (USA).

1989

"Introduction to Archaeozoology". Course for anthropology students at                                                                                                                      San Diego State University, U.S.A.

1990

“The ecology of camel pastoralism in Eastern Sudan”. Seminar held at the Department of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside.

WS 93/94

“Pastoral nomadism in South Asia”. Course held at the Institute of Ethnology, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University”. (“Lehrauftrag”)

WS 93/94

“Animal domestication”. Course held at the Zoology Institute of the Technical University Darmstadt. (“Lehrauftrag”)

SS 94

“The Raikas, a pastoral caste of Western India”. Course held at the Institute of Ethnology, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University: “ (“Lehrauftrag”)

Professional

 

RESEARCH GRANTS

 

1980

DAAD-Dissertation Grant for research in Jordan and Jerusalem.

 

 

1982

Postdoctoral fellowship of the German Oriental Society (funded by the Stiftung Volkswagenwerk) for 12 months of research on Bedouin animal husbandry in Jordan.

1987

Grant of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research for research on the origin of nomadic animal husbandry systems through a study of semi-nomadic Huweitat Bedouins in Jordan.

1988

Grant of the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation for identification of the small mammal fauna from Ain Ghazal at the British Museum of Natural History, London.

1990

Grant of the A.N. Lindley Foundation for a pilot study of camel production among the Rashaida in East Sudan.

1990-

91

"Scholarly Development Fellowship" of the American Institute of Indian Studies for research about "Camel husbandry in India: Socioeconomic context and management practices", conducted in affiliation with the National Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner, India.

1992

Research Grant of the National Geographic Society for a comparative study of camel utilization by Sindhi Muslims und Hindu Raikas in Rajasthan, India.

1997

Research Grant of the Alexander v. Humboldt-Foundation for a

documentation on the Raika caste (in cooperation with Dr. Arun Srivastava, Jodhpur University

  • Ecologically and socially sustainable livestock development, especially in marginal areas (pastoral development)
  • Holistic biodiversity management
  • Project conceptualization, design, and development
  • Gender studies
  • Animal genetic resources and community-based breeding management
  • Policy Development for livestock and natural resource management
  • Bio-enterprise and value chain development for pastoralists
  • Indigenous Knowledge (IK), esp. of livestock keepers
  • Advocacy for pastoralists and marginal groups
  • Animal health services (including ethnoveterinary and paraveterinary approaches)
  • GO-NGO Interaction

 

I have undertaken numerous consultancies, including for World Bank, GTZ/GIZ, Misereor, FAO, ILRI, Natural Resources International (NRI), German Forum for Environment and Development, EED, League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock development (LPP), and others, on a variety of issues relating to participatory livestock development with a special emphasis on breeding, sustainable natural resource management, and gender. As co-proprietor of Camel Charisma Pvt. Ltd, a social enterprise aimed at adding value to camel raw materials, I have a wealth of practical experience in niche market development for pastoralists.

 

As co-founder and projects coordinator of the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock development (LPP), I have developed a large number of successful project proposals funded by Misereor, GTZ, FAO, Rockefeller Foundation, Dutch Biodiversity Fund, Swedbio, The Christensen Fund, Ford Foundation, Winrock, Swiss Development Cooperation, Fondation d’Entreprise Hermès, Swissaid, Bread for the World, and others.

 

ORGANISATION OF CONFERENCES/WORKSHOPS/TRAINING PROGRAMMES

 

2013

Co-organiser, LIFE Network Seminar “Towards Green and Equitable Livestock Development in India. 13th April, 2013 in Hyderabad

2012

Organiser of LIFE Network side-event at the COP 11 of the CBD, held in Hyderabad, India

2012

Organiser of International “Livestock Futures” Conference held in Bonn (Germany on 6th/7th September)

2007

Organiser of side-event at COP 8 of UNCCD in Madrid on” The Role of Pastoralists in Conserving Biodiversity”, on 10th September.

2007

Organiser of side-event “Everything you always wanted to know about Livestock Keepers’ Rights”, during International Conference on Animal Genetic Resources in Interlaken, Switzerland, on 5th September.

2007

Organiser of side-event at CGRFA 11 (Commission on Genetic Resources for

Food and Agriculture) held at FAO in Rome on Diverse Livestock for Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation, 14 June

 

 

2007

Co-organiser (with H.S. Rathore), International Workshop on Livestock Keepers and the Management of Animal Genetic Resources: Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities, held in Rajasthan/India from 26-28 February, 2007. Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan and LIFE-Network. Funded by Ford Foundation, HIVOS, WISP.

2006

Convenor and Organiser, International Workshop on Livestock biodiversity, indigenous knowledge and intellectual property rights, held at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Conference Centre in Bellagio (Italy) from 27 March-2 April.

Funded by Rockefeller Foundation.

2005

Co-organiser (with Evelyn Mathias and H.S. Rathore) Training Course on People-Centered Livestock Development, held in Rajasthan/India from 13-19 March, 2005. Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan and League for Pastoral Peoples (Misereor)

2004

Co-organiser (with H.S. Rathore) International Conference: “Saving the Camel and Peoples’ Livelihoods: Building a Multi-Stakeholder Platform for the Conservation of the Camel in India”, held in Rajasthan/India. 23-25 November, 2004 (Ford Foundation, Misereor, FAO)

2003

Co-organiser (with J. Wanyama) International Meeting of indigenous livestock breeding communities on animal genetic resources, held in Karen (Kenya), 27- 30 October. League for Pastoral Peoples and ITDG-EA. (EED, Misereor, CTA)

2003

Co-organiser (with H.S. Rathore) Asian level workshop ”Farm animal genetic resources from the perspective of rural communities”, held in Rajasthan/India from 12-16 October with Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (GTZ, FAO).

2003

Course-Designer, Workshop on Sustainable Animal Management for NGOs, 25- 27 February, 2003 in Dineshpur, Bangladesh. Caritas. (Misereor)

2002

Co-organiser (with H.S. Rathore) All-India Meeting of Pastoralists and Herders Organisations, 23-24 March. (Swiss Agency for International Development and Winrock International)

2002

Co-organiser (with S. Gura) Side-events on animal genetic resources with developing country representatives and pastoralists at the World Food Summit in Rome (June, 2002), and the Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) at the FAO in October 2002 (German Forum on Environment and Development and League for Pastoral Peoples)

 

 

 

 

 

Health, with special focus on Ethno-veterinary medicine. Rajasthan/India, 13-15 March. (Bread for the World)

 

1997

Organiser, International workshop on traditional camel medicine to produce a field manual on camel diseases, held in conjunction with the International Conference on Ethnoveterinary Medicine in Pune, India from 4-6 November,

              1997 (Misereor and CTA).                                                                                       

 

 

 

PAPERS AT CONFERENCES/WORKSHOPS

 

2012

Beyond breeds: the key role of locally adapted animal genetic resources for a green livestock economy. Paper presented at National Conference on Native Livestock Breeds for the Future of Mankind, organized by Vechur Conservation Trust and National Biodiversity Authority on 7.8 July in Hosana Mount, Bharanangnam, Pala, Kottayam, Kerala.

2009

Leveraging the potential of livestock for dryland development: why a paradigm shift is needed. Keynote paper presented at International Conference on Nurturing Arid Zones for people and the environment: issues and agenda for the 21st century held at CAZRI, Jodhpur, November 24-28.

2009

Livestock Keepers‘ Rights: Origin, meaning and implications. Invited Paper at National Conference for Animal Husbandry Bureaucrats held in Beijing, November 20th.

2009

Supporting Animal Breeding through a Code of Conduct on Livestock Keepers Rights. IFOAM Conference on Organic Animal and Plant Breeding held in Santa Fe (New Mexico) from 25-29 August

2009

Panelist, Panel discussion on the sustainable management of agricultural biodiversity organized by the Nordic Council of Ministers, Commission Sustainable Development (CSD) at UN-headquarters in New York, 13 May.

2009

Livestock Keepers’ Rights. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Indian Society for Domestic Diversity, held at Karnal, India

2008

Paper on Livestock Keepers’ Rights. 9th Symposio ibero-americano sobre conservacion y utilisacion des recursos zoogeneticos at Mar del Plata (Argentina)

2008

Background and Rationale for Livestock Keepers’ Rights at Workshop on “Rights over Animal Genetic Resources” held at World Trade Institute in Bern

2008

Livestock Farming with Nature. Poster Paper presented at SBSTTA 13 at FAO in Rome, February.

2008

Protected Areas and Livestock Keepers’ Rights. Poster paper during WGPA (CBD Working Group on Protected Areas) at FAO in Rome, February.

2007

Respondent to the lead paper “Dynamics of livestock production systems, the drivers of change and prospects for animal genetic resources” during the Science Forum held at the International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources in Interlaken, Switzerland on 3 September

2007

Local Breeds as Basis for Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development in Developing Countries: The LIFE-Approach. Invited Paper during the IFOAM Conference on Marketing of Organic and Regional Values, held in Schwäbisch-Hall, Germany, 27-28 August.

2007

Reviving Rajasthan’s Camel Husbandry: Experiences from the Field International Camel Conference, held at the College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Rajasthan Agricultural University in Bikaner(India), 16-17 February.

2006

Concentration in the Poultry Sector, presented at the International Workshop on The Future of Animal Genetic Resources :Under Corporate Control or in the Hands of Farmers and Pastoralists?, held in Bonn, Germany, 16 October,.organised by League for Pastoral Peoples.

2006

Land Degradation and Desertification: Dimensions, Causes, Solutions, Best Practices. International School of Journalism, Berlin, on 16 May.

2006

Livestock Keepers’ Rights und Vielfalt der Nutztierrassen. In: Kommerzielle Nutzung der Biodiversität: Ist ein Interessensausgleich möglich?

Fachtagung, 23. Mai, 2006, GTZ/Eschborn

2006

Supporting livestock keepers through organizational strengthening:

Why services are not enough and we need a “rights-based approach” to livestock development. Paper presented at International Conference on Livestock Services, organised by Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing April

2005

Desertifikation – ein aktueller Blick auf die globale Dimension und die Herausforderungen des Problems. Impulsreferat bei der Tagung

Desertifikation – Antworten auf die weltweite Zerstörung von Landesressourcen? Zum Stand der Umsetzung und Engagement der Zivilgesellschaft im Rahmen der internationalen Konvention (NCCD), Forum Umwelt und Entwicklung, am 28.4. in Frankfurt.

2004

Participatory Approaches to Using the Camel in Combating Desertification ( with H.S. Rathore) at the International Conference “Desertification Combat and Food Security: The Added Values of Camel Producers”, organised by CIRAD (France) and the Institute of Desert Flora and Fauna in Ashkabad, held in Ashkabad (Turkmenistan), 19.-22.4.

2004

CULTURES AND CIVILISATIONS: PRESENT STATE AND PERSPECTIVES OF NOMADISM IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD, Organized by the Mongolian National University in Ulaan Baatar from August 9-14.

 

 

 

 

2003

Trends in livestock development and research: issues at stake for indigenous livestock breeding communities. (with Isabella Masinde) Paper presented at the International Meeting of Indigenous Livestock Breeders held in Karen, Kenya, 27-30 October, 2003.

2003

Indigenous knowledge about animal breeding. Paper presented to International Meeting of Indigenous Livestock Breeders held in Karen, Kenya, 27-30 October, 2003

2003

Pastoralists, protected areas and biodiversity conservation in Western India: a case study of the Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary(with H.S. Rathore). Paper presented to the Mobile Indigenous Peoples Workshop during the World Parks Conference held in Durban, South Africa, 6-13 September 2003

2003

Avenues to capitalise on Africa’s Farm Animal Genetic Resources: Safeguarding Livestock Keepers Rights and Pursuing Endogenous Development. Paper presented at the Workshop Generating Benefits through Sustainable Use and Conservation of Farm-Animal Genetic Resources in the SADC-Region. A workshop to explore the legal and regulatory framework held in Maputo, Mozambique, May 20-23, 2003. (GTZ, SADC, FAO)

2002

Significance of pastoral cultures for the sustainable management of livestock biodiversity: A case study of the Raika of Rajasthan (India) Paper presented at the GTZ/BMZ Workshop ‘Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity’, held in Vilm, 7–11 July 2002.

2001

Keynote Speaker, Community-Based Management of Animal Genetic Resources: A tool for rural development at the International Workshop CBMAnGR: the State of the Art held in Mbabane, Swaziland by GTZ, SACCAR, SADC, FAO and UNDP” on “. 7-11 May, 2001.

2001

Community-based management of animal genetic resources (with A. von Lossau). Paper presented at the Conference on International Agricultural Research for Development (Deutscher Tropentag), October 9-11, University of Bonn.

2000

Domestic Animal Diversity, Local Knowledge and Stockholders Rights ( with Constance McCorkle) presented at the ASA Conference 2000 at SOAS, London: Participating in Development: Approaches to Indigenous Knowledge, 2-5 April, 2000

2000

Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin, Germany, 16-18 May, 2000.

 

 

 

 

1999

LPP’s Initiative for the Participatory Conservation of Indigenous Livestock Breeds: A Concept Note (with Juliane Bräunig) at the Tropentag on 14-15 October 1999 at the Humboldt University, Berlin

1999

Contribution on Solidarity with poor livestock keepers in a panel discussion on Contributions of animal husbandry and fisheries to social security at GTZ Eschborner Fachtage, 22 June, 1999.

1999

Ethics of animal husbandry from a cross-cultural perspective. Paper presented at the Conseil Mondial des Eleveurs, 23-29 August in Lucerne.

1995

The Camel Husbandry Improvement Project in Rajasthan (India): Towards the development of extension services for camel pastoralists. (with H.S. Rathore and R.R. Dewasi). Paper presented at the VIII international Conference of Institutions of Tropical Veterinary Medicine, 25-29 September, Berlin.

Distictions

Marwar Ratna Award 2014: for saving the camel as Rajasthan’s heritage (together with Hanwant Singh Rathore)

Yver Rocher Foundation: 1. Prize for Woman Environmentalist, 4 February, 2009 for “Raising awareness about the role of pastoralists in biodiversity conservation”

Distinguished Camel Scientist Award. International Camel Conference, 16-17 February, 2007, College of Veterinary and Agricultural Science, Bikaner, India

Rolex Associate Award for Enterprise 2002 for “Saving the Camel and Raika Heritage in Rajasthan, India”.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Member of the guiding group of the Global Agenda of Action for Sustainable Livestock (hosted by Fao)

Member of the core group of the Rain-fed Livestock Network (supported by the Ford Foundation in New-Delhi)

Co-founder, LIFE-Network for community-based management of animal genetic resources Researcher and script-writer for a film about Biocultural protocols

 

Researcher and Script-writer for a series of 4 films on livestock issues produced by LPP, LPPS, and Moving Images (funded by HIVOS Oxfam-Novib Biodiversity Fund, Ford Foundation and The Christensen Fund)

Contributor of articles to news media, including Tehelka and The Hindu Sunday Supplement; preparation of numerous press releases.

Author, film script, “Keepers of Genes”, produced by Moving Images and League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development. Funded by FAO-Netherlands Partnership Programme.

Founder of the League for Pastoral Peoples (now League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development), originally an advocacy and support group for   pastoralists depending on common property resources, now a resource organization for socially and ecologically sustainable livestock development.

Founding Associate Member of WAMIP, the World Association of Mobile Indigenous Peoples.

Publications

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS (116 Papers published in Journals of Repute)

Other Publications:

 

 

2013

Camels of Kumbhalgarh. A biodiversity treasure. Commissioned by LPPS for project funded by Ford Foundation

2010

Invisible Guardians. The Role of Women in Animal Genetic Resource Management. (in prep., 60+ pages). Author’s contract with FAO.

2010

Biocultural Community Protocols for Livestock Keepers. Commissioned by LPP for FAO-supported project.

2009

Livestock Keepers. Guardians of biodiversity. FAO Animal Production and Health Paper 167. (69 pages)

2008

Background Paper on The Roles of Small-scale Livestock Keepers in the

Conservation and Sustainable Management of Animal Genetic Resources for FAO.

 

 

2007

Keepers of Genes. Indian Pastoralists and their Livestock Breeds. Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan/LIFE-Network, Sadri (India) 70 pp Funded by FAO.

2005

Indigenous Breeds, Local Communities. Documenting Animal Breeds and Breeding from a Community Perspective. LPPS, Sadri (India) 66pp. By LPPS/GTZ/FAO

2004

Building an international legal framework on animal genetic resources. Can it help the drylands and food-insecure countries? By Forum Umwelt und Entwicklung/League for Pastoral Peoples

2004

Discussion paper: Endogenous versus Globalized: An Alternative Vision of Livestock Development for the Poor. League for Pastoral Peoples/Misereor

2004

Livestock Keepers’ Rights. Conserving breeds, supporting livelihoods”, July, 2004. Brochure in English and German. By League for Pastoral Peoples

2004

Farm Animal Genetic Resources. Safeguarding National Assets for Food Security and Trade. Summary Publication about four workshops on animal genetic resources held in the SADC Region. By FAO/GTZ/CTA/SADC

2004

Indigenous Knowledge about Animal Breeding, Traditional Communities and the State of the World Report. Information leaflet for participants in the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources held at FAO, 31 March-2 April, 2004. By League for Pastoral Peoples

2003

(Editor, with J. Wanyama) The Karen Commitment, Proceedings of a Conference of Indigenous Livestock Breeding Communities. By Forum Umwelt und Entwicklung/League for Pastoral Peoples.

2003

Indigenous Knowledge about Animal breeding and breeds. Information leaflet in English, German, French, Spanish. By GTZ.

2002

Livestock production in the South: sustainable or industrial? Information leaflet. By Forum für Umwelt und Entwicklung, Bonn.

2002

(Editor) Local Livestock Breeds for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods. Towards Community-Based Approaches for Animal genetic Resources Conservation. Proceedings of a Conference/Workshop held on 1-4 November, 2000 und Udaipur/Sadri, Rajasthan, India.

2000

Management of Animal Genetic Resources at Community-level. By GTZ

1993

Die Zukunft der Hirtennomaden: Eine entwicklungspolitische Herausforderung. Broschüre, Liga für Hirtenvölker/BMZ.

 

Other