Society of Animal, Veterinary and Environmental Scientists (SAVES)

Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) are crucial for livelihood in the drylands of the world. The pastoral people are the custodians of the AnGR in difficult environment of drylands. AnGR are the building blocks for future livestock development that will enable animal producers to respond to environmental changes. The ability of indigenous/pastoral livestock breeds to survive natural calamities (droughts, climatic extremes and diseases) is necessarily more important than high productivity. Such animals are generally close to their wild ancestors, enabling them to resist diseases and feed & water scarcity. The need of modern veterinary care is thus limited. Unfortunately the State of the World Report on AnGR predicted that 20% of livestock breeds are at risk of extinction and the average breed loss is 1 breed per month. The pastoral livestock breeds are more prone to this erosion. These issues demanded efforts to bring them in the minds of scientists and policy makers.

In 2005, the like-minded scientists organized the SAVES. Originally it was a Pakistani society, soon many international friends and scientists joined it. Now it is an international society.

• Conservation of AnGR and Indigenous knowledge through the strengthening of the pastoral peoples
• Characterization and documentation of AnGR with the perspectives of the livestock keepers
• Documentation and validation of the Indigenous knowledge with the participation of the communities
• Research projects on the pastoral livestock production systems, products, culture and ecosystems
• Value additions to the local livestock products for the wellbeing of the livestock keepers and conservation of the breeds

• Livestock keepers rights (LKR)
• Community Bio-cultural Protocols (BCP)
• Mobilization and organization of the livestock keepers