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TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE > Revival of Traditional Knowledge

Revival and Dissemination of Kyrgyz Traditional Pastoral Knowledge and Practices

Through the Pastoralist-to-Pastoralist Network

Livestock has always played a great role in Kyrgyz economy and livelihood of its rural people. Immediately after gaining independence in 1991, country deepened into a serious economic crisis. With a lack of non farming opportunities, drastic decrease of employment possibilities in state sector and industry, majority of rural people have become farmers. 17 years later, with the economic growth and overall political and social stability, the nature of farming is slowly but changing. There are still people who farm only for subsistence purposes to provide families with food and additional income, others are becoming real farmers.

However, with 70 years of Soviet centralized economy, state ownership and management of all resources and assets, and with persecution of attempts to study pre Soviet history of Kyrgyz people, traditional knowledge and practices of sustainable and effective livestock farming have been lost to many. With almost no substantial knowledge and extension infrastructure existing at the local village level to support farmers, and especially livestock grazers, with practical skills and advice, these farmers experience many problems in their daily life without knowing how to deal with them on their own. Our research on traditional knowledge showed that the process of its disappearance is very fast and irreversible and it's not practical to collect this knowledge at the significant level in one geographical location.

Many people in rural areas don't have basic knowledge and don't have any longer traditional skills of animal husbandry especially on transhumance grazing.  In addition, current livestock breeding, grazing and processing practices are often inefficient and environmentally detrimental. Many farmers want to revive traditional lifestyles but lack sources for such knowledge. However, importance and usefulness of this knowledge is greatly accepted by all.

Main project aims

- to collect traditional knowledge on pastoral skills and lifestyle from custodians of traditional knowledge around the country,

- disseminate it through the Summer Fair of Traditional Knowledge, Pastoralist-to-Pastoralist School and "El Akyl Kazyna" Kyrgyz Pastoralists' Network (Treasury of the Kyrgyz People's Knowledge).

This project was also important in promoting networking of pastoralists around the country and support to them through recovering, storing and disseminating traditional knowledge.

Project objectives

- identify custodians of the traditional pastoral knowledge around the country,

- to collect knowledge from them, analyze it, process and disseminate it around the country to empower young pastoralists,

- accumulate it in one interactive learning center.

RDF has collected and documented traditional knowledge on pastoral economy and lifestyle for its preservation and recovery. This knowledge was important not only in terms capturing history of the Kyrgyz pastoralizm but to recover and re-introduce resilient and environmentally sustainable practices and technologies used by Kyrgyz during centuries. It would improve landscapes and prevent them from degradation and depletion of natural resources. Livelihoods of hundreds of pastoralists would be improved through their empowerment with traditional knowledge and skills.

Project area

Research was conducted in all regions of Kyrgyzstan, including the places of living of ethnic Kyrgyz in Turkey and China.

Project was country wide and established and supported the "Kyrgyz El Altyn Kazyna" network of Kyrgyz pastoralists, strengthened them with traditional knowledge on livestock keeping and managing and using pasture resources in a sustainable manner. Other target beneficiaries were young people, who would get aware and learn about Kyrgyz pastoralizm, its heritage and value. RDF launched an essay contest on traditional knowledge among students.

The direct impact was on hundreds of pastoralists using Kemin (in the North) and Chong Alai (in the South) valleys for summer grazing, who have had access to collected traditional knowledge at the Summer Fair of Traditional Knowledge and at the Pastoralist-to-Pastoralist School. Methodological and training materials, brochures were used by many other farmers around the country with the dissemination of these materials through existing agricultural extension services.

Recover of traditional livestock practices resulted in better livelihood of Kyrgyz livestock keepers, with raising lambing rates, spreading out more resilient to climate changes local breeds, introducing better feeding and animal medical treatment, as well as with recovery of traditional livestock and other rangeland resources processing technologies.

Project results

- a database of the Kyrgyz custodians of Traditional Knowledge on pastoral livestock practices and skills and an informal network of the pastoralists were arranged and established;

- Information, materials, practices of traditional knowledge were distributed and presented at the Summer Fair of Traditional Knowledge;

- pastoralists were trained on Traditional Knowledge through Pastoralist-to-Pastoralist Schools (PPS);

- custodians and practitioners of Traditional knowledge were recognized and awarded for sustainable livestock breeding;

- there was a wide awareness among youth and extension services on Pastoralist Traditional Knowledge;

- training materials and information on Traditional Knowledge were disseminated to farmers through the existing extension agencies;

- traditional pastoral knowledge was collected, processed, analyzed and published in "Young Farmer-Livestock Breeder " series of brochures.

Rural Development Fund

102-104, Toktogul Street, Office 1

Bishkek, 720040, Kyrgyz Republic 

Phone: +996 (312) 976 100

Fax: +996 (312) 976 103

E-mail: general@rdf.in.kg

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Rural Development Fund