Vétérinaires Sans Frontières calls upon the aid organizations and governments not to forget the livestock and the important role it plays in the livelihoods of the refugees, and asks for an increased awareness to their plight and situation. As a professional non-profit technical and integrated international development organization we are available to assist at any time; already our specialists are operational in the area.
Several VSF-E member organisations including AVSF France and Veterinarios sin fronteras are active in Haiti and are calling for solidarity with Haiti after the earthquake.
On October 8th 2009, representatives from the VSF-E network gathered in Teramo, Italy for a symposium about Food Sovereignty. The objective of the symposium was to drafts proposals in order to contribute in spreading and implementing the paradigm of food sovereignty in its different aspects. Read the full press-release (PDF)
On the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification that is celebrated on June 17th every year, organisations representing or supporting traditional mobile livestock keepers caution that the livelihoods of millions of dryland dwellers could be threatened by indiscriminate conversion of so-called "wastelands" into bio-fuel plantations. Read the full press-release (PDF)
The unexplored potential of local marketing and endogenous livestock development
There is an unexplored potential to be tapped for poverty alleviation and sustainable agricultural development: initiatives based on local marketing and endogenous livestock production systems. Southern countries need not simply follow the path of industrialised livestock production for the world market, as the northern countries decided to do several decades ago. North and South can learn from each other, as numerous options towards sustainable agricultural development - based on local initiatives and marketing - can be found in all continents.
There is an unexplored potential to be tapped for poverty alleviation and sustainable agricultural development: initiatives based on local marketing and endogenous livestock production systems. Southern countries need not simply follow the path of industrialised livestock production for the world market, as the northern countries decided to do several decades ago. North and South can learn from each other, as numerous options towards sustainable agricultural development - based on local initiatives and marketing - can be found in all continents.