III International Seminar on Sustainable Production of South American Camelids: Securing Biodiversity

Lima (Peru), 10/07/2024 - 12/07/2024

The III International Seminar on Sustainable Production of South American Camelids: Securing Biodiversity will be held from July 10th to 12th on the campus of the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima, Peru.

The objective is to strengthen the capacity of researchers, technicians and breeders in the sustainability of diversity and breeding of South American camelids. This event w...

Hybrid Camels in Western Anatolia. Lecture by Onur İnal - On the Backs of Camels

Vienna (Austria), 12/03/2024

The Anatolian or so-called Turkmen camel is a cross between a male two-humped Bactrian camel and a female one-humped dromedary (Arabian camel). The hybridized Anatolian camel was a much sought-after farm animal in Ottoman times, as it was stronger than purebred camels and therefore better suited to carrying loads. As early as the seventeenth century, the Anatolian camel was an important play...

Officialization and establishment of the Multisectoral Commission in the framework of the International Year of Camelids 2024

Lima (Peru), 29/03/2024

The Commission will be made up of the ministries of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, Production, Foreign Trade and Tourism, and Foreign Relations. Its functions will be: (i) to prepare a technical report that contains the proposal for the program of official activities to be carried out in response to the declaration of 2024 as the “International Year of Camelids”; (ii) propose the necessar...

The Curious Case of the Camel in Modern Japan: (De)Colonialism, Orientalism, and Imagining Asia? Lecture by Ayelet Zohar (English) - On the Backs of Camels

Vienna (Austria), 16/04/2024

In her lecture, Ayelet Zohar critically analyzes camel images as a metonymy for Asia as well as Japanese attitudes towards the continent. The lecture reads into encounters with the exotic animals, from Nanban art, realist Dutch-influenced illustrations, through Misemono roadshows of the first camel-pair imported in 1821. Modernity and Japan’s wars of Pan-Asiatic fantasies associated camels ...

Ships of the desert - From Ancient Camels to Sustainable Livestock under Climate Change

Vienna (Austria), 27/02/2024

Public discussion about the "Ships of the desert", the evolution and origin of camels and their purpose in the modern world under climate change.

Officialization and celebration of the National Llama Day - 1st Gastronomic Festival

Ninacaca (Peru), 28/06/2024

Peru is the second largest producer of llamas in the world. Its main product is meat, which is one of the main sources of protein for the high Andean population and has been consumed as dry-salted meat, known as "charqui", for more than 3,500 years. Llamas are also used as pack animals for bartering and tourism. Their fiber and leather are used to make products for household...

Launch of the International Year of Camelids 2024 by the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation of Peru

Lima (Peru), 30/01/2024

For Peru, the declaration of 2024 as the International Year of Camelids means reflecting on what South American camelids represent as an ancestral heritage that brings together people with animals. Moreover, it is the only economic activity with sustainable potential for more than 90 thousand households that live in inhospitable areas at over 4 thousand meters above sea level and are in...

Alpacas in Peru: Bridging Threads of Science and Culture

Vienna (Austria), 07/03/2024

The seminar will highlight current alpaca research in Peru - from genetics and rangeland management to animal welfare. The event will also show the importance of alpaca rearing for local communities in the Andes. Textiles made from alpaca fibre will be on display.

Cross-cultural Exchange on Camel Well-Being

Nagaur (India), 15/02/2024 - 16/02/2024

The purpose of this workshop is to discuss the status quo and the factors that currently undermine camel well-being and conservation in Rajasthan and identify possible solutions, taking advantage of the presence of a team of North American camel ranchers during the Nagaur Cattle Fair. It will bring these experts together with the Raika and other camel herders of Rajasthan who are the holders of...

Vicuñas and Llamas at School

Santa Catalina (Argentina), 15/03/2024 - 15/12/2024

We will develop workshops on environmental education for students and teachers in the altiplano schools in northwestern Argentina, particularly in the province of Jujuy. Activities to celebrate the international year will include spinning contests and artistic and cultural events.

Launch of International Year of Camelids in Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), 26/01/2024

Mongolia is home to the two-humped Bactrian camels and for centuries, camels have sustained Mongolian nomadic herders, through their milk, meat, and fibre, amidst harsh climatic conditions. Moreover, camels, a symbol of strength and resilience, are an integral part of the Mongolian culture. This year has been declared as the International Year of Camelids (IYC) by the United Nations, shining...

International Workshop on Camelid Pastoralism

Sadri (India), Hybrid Event, 05/01/2024 - 10/01/2024

The first international event of the International Year of Camelids 2024 was an International Workshop on Camelid Pastoralism, held in Sadri, Rajasthan, India, hosted by Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS), the League for Pastoral Peoples (LPP) and the Godwar camel pastoralist milk producers. Participants represented Raika camel herders and other camel pastoralists from Rajasthan and Gujarat...

Opening Ceremony – International Year of Camelids 2024

Roma (Italy), Hybrid Event, 04/12/2023

The Opening Ceremony of the International Year of Camelids 2024, hosted by FAO, aims to raise awareness and create momentum for the International Year by engaging Members, United Nations organizations, intergovernmental organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.

Towards the International Year of Camelids: Perspectives and challenges

Roma (Italy), Hybrid Event, 25/09/2023

The International Year of Camelids (IYC) aims to raise awareness about the importance of these animals for society.