Organisation:
Honey Bee Network,Madurai
Location:
Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Problem:
NA
Solution:
Mr. P. Vivekanandan holds M. Sc. In Agriculture and is Executive Director of Sustainable-agriculture & Environment Voluntary Action (SEVA) for the last 21 years. He is editor of ‘Numvalivelanmai’ quarterly published in association with Honey Bee Network/SRISTI. He is Member, ‘national steering committee on conservation of threatened breeds of livestock’ constituted by Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, New Delhi. He is also a member of the Sub-Group on Conservation of Animal Genetic Resources under constituted Working Group on Animal Husbandry & Dairying for the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17).
In 1992, SEVA a voluntary organisation with the aim to explore the ways and means of sustainable livelihood was founded by Mr. P. Vivekanandan. The guiding philosophy of SEVA is to find solutions that are locally appropriate and feasible based on indigenous knowledge.
SEVA documents traditional knowledge, innovations, practices and pastoralists role as custodian of livestock biodiversity and working for their rights. . SEVA attempts capacity building of grassroots innovators through awards, micro-venture capital to innovators for improving their products in collaboration with National Innovation Foundation, Ahmadabad.
SEVA facilitated local Panchayats to renovate common property resources (viz. animal drinking water ponds, tanks), arranged animal health camps, supplied breeding bulls and prepared action plan for conservation of 10 native animal breeds by involving all the stakeholders. In several cases, notably for Umbalachery cattle in Nagapattinam district, there has been a significant increase in population of the breed as an outcome.
Scalability and Impact:
They promoted the concept of incentives for pastoral communities conserving genetic diversity in the form of Breed Saviour Awards. This idea has been accepted and supported by National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai. So far a total of 105 livestock keepers / groups received cash awards (Rs. 10,000 each) and certificates based on annual competition announced over the last 4 years during 2009-2012.
Number of innovations, traditional practiced documented – 8000
No. of innovators provided with micro credit/venture capital – 32( Rs. 12 Lakhs)
Number of traditional practices tested /validated – 8
No. of innovations commercialized – 2
No. of farmers trained in herbal medicine for animals – 3000
No. of women self-help groups promoted- 450
Amount disbursed to women groups – Rs. 5.2 crore
Pastoralists/herders Associations promoted – 5
No. of drinking water ponds /sources for animals desilted/created -15
Registered cattle breed with National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources in 2012 – Pulikulam
Year of pastrolists grazing rights included in Forest Rights Act 2006 (in association with LIFE Network NGOs ) achieved – 2007
No. of goshalas linked with Animal welfare board / Breed savior Awards -3
Financial Requirements:
NA
Awards and Recognition:
First prize for scouting maximum Innovations in Tamil Nadu in 2001 by National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad
The George Atkins Communications Award (annual award conferred to a single individual for excellence globally) in 1999