About RLN

The Rainfed Livestock Network (RLN), is a consortium of organizations that work in the livestock and natural resource management (NRM) sectors.  Associated partners work on various livestock related themes to highlight the importance of livestock- based livelihoods in rainfed (arid and semi-arid) regions of rural India. The consortium is anchored by the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), Anand, Gujarat. 

The livestock sector plays a crucial role in sustaining low-income households in rainfed regions. Yet, the sector remains peripheral to mainstream livestock policies and government investments. Towards this, the Rainfed Livestock Network seeks to influence government policies, programmes and institutions to better address the needs of small-scale livestock keepers including mixed crop-livestock farmers, pastoralists, and landless livestock keepers in rainfed areas.

The overall goal is to bring about policy and programmatic changes that favour improved and sustainable livelihoods in harmony with local ecological conditions.

The Network envisions a vibrant Indian livestock sector, especially in the marginalized rainfed regions, which emerges from a holistic approach to policy-making involving socially, ecologically and economically sustainable initiatives that take into account the knowledge and contributions of India’s pastoral and small-holder livestock keepers and their indigenous breeds.