Rainfed Livestock Network (RLN) secretariat anchored in FES launched the Living Lab for Extensive Livestock Systems on 1st July, 2025. This initiative is the beginning of a collaborative and much-needed
conversation around extensive livestock systems; a space where insights can be shared and pooled together to help shape a rich, cross-sectoral dialogue.
Back Yard Poultry (BYP) is a traditional method of poultry production using indigenous breeds, that forage for food. In current times, the term free-range is used more commonly to describe the same. The essence of backyard poultry is the negligible expense on feed, and involves the production of chicks in-house, independent of feed mills and hatcheries. As marginal and landless farmers, especially women have recognized its potential, it is emerging as a critical source of better livelihood for rural communities.
Livestock production in India is frequently misrepresented. The prevailing narrative portrays India’s livestock production as a low-output system, deemed inefficient with high methane emissions. Native breeds are often perceived as low-producing animals, as efficiency is commonly measured by output per individual animal.