2024 – UN International Year of Camelids
The United Nations (UN) has declared 2024 the International Year of Camelids to raise awareness of the importance of camelids for food security and ecosystem functions.
Camelids constitute the primary means of subsistence for millions of low-income families.
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The UN International Year of Camelids was proclaimed in resolution A/72/210 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 20, 2017, to “raise awareness of the importance of camelids for food security and ecosystem functions, and to promote actions that improve the management of camelids to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.”
What Are Camelids?
Camelids encompass camels and camel-like animals. Camelids are strictly herbivorous, even-toed, ungulate mammals that first appeared in North America about 45 million years ago. There are six living species of camelids, namely, dromedary camels, Bactrian camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos, with habitats in North Africa, South-West and Central Asia, Oceania, and South America.
The Primary Source of Protein, Clothes, and Fertilizer
Camelids constitute the primary means of subsistence for millions of low-income families that live in the most hostile ecosystems on the planet. According to the UN, they “contribute to the fight against hunger, the eradication of extreme poverty, the empowerment of women, and the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.”
Comprehensive management of the products derived from camelids would promote the inclusion of the most vulnerable populations of rural societies, leading to the creation of sustainable jobs and promoting equality.
They are a primary source of protein, fiber for clothes, and fertilizer for agricultural production, and they serve as pack animals, transporting people and products in indigenous communities throughout South America’s extensive Andean highlands, as well as in deserts in Africa and Asia.
Ecosystem Functions
Camelids can play a crucial role in addressing the effects of climate change, in particular in arid and semi-arid lands. For centuries, camels have sustained Bedouins, nomads, and pastoral communities, thriving in harsh climatic conditions where other livestock struggle. Their adaptability, obedience, and sustainability make them an attractive prospect for domestication and a vital addition to the food chain, according to The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The camelid family of animals also produces significantly less methane than cattle, sheep, and goats, reports Climate News Network.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals
IYC Key Messages
The United Nations encourages all Member States, the United Nations system, and all other actors to take advantage of the International Year to promote awareness among the public of all the benefits of cameloids.
That includes the economic and cultural importance of camelids and fostering the consumption of the goods produced from these mammals.