• Abstract

•  ravikumar@nifindia.org

Accessibility for livestock health care has been great challenge in hilly regions and remote areas. Communities across different regions try and find alternative cost effective solutions for livestock welfare. Indigenous Knowledge Research System provided necessary health care, minimize disease incidence and sustain livestock productivity. National Innovation Foundation-India with help of Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions had identified, value added an indigenous knowledge practice of Shri. Ukhardiyabhai Sombhai Raot against mastitis among farm animals. The formulation Mastiherb was developed, tested and found effective against clinical conditions. Development of socially acceptable product was shared with creative society towards enhancing wider benefit. Globally there was not much successful evidence in emphasizing need to share advancement of documented practice with custodian of knowledge, fundamental ethos of Honey Bee Network. This had helped in formation of network among informal knowledge holders in the regions of Dang, Gujarat State. This had provided intellectual space for creative community to know each other, share and discus their rich experience. The research study tries to articulate generation of social goods from communities’ collective action and need for specific strategy to convert them into employment opportunities. The study demonstrated the importance of value addition to novel folkloric medications and an implementation model for technology development, sustaining, sharing, and scaling up of low cost locally available medications. Engagement with creative communities illustrated establishment of knowledge network can be possible through socially relevant action research.

Keywords :   Indigenous, knowledge, communities, mastitis, technology, livestock, behaviour