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India Biodiversity Award to Professor Sosamma Iype

India Biodiversity Award 2016 “For Recognizing Champions of Biodiversity Conservation” was presented to Sosamma Iype on May 22^nd 2016, International Biodiversity Day. The Award was instituted by UNDP, Ministry of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change and National Biodiversity Authority of India. The function was at the YB Chavan Auditorium at Mumbai. This award was for saving the endangered Vechur Cattle from extinction. The major area was Conservation of Threatened Species resulting in significant reduction in the threat level. The presentation of award also serve as an incentive for the effective implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Sosamma Iype had been working in the area of conservation for the last 28 years. Her efforts to save the almost extinctVechur cattle started while she was in the Kerala Agricultural University and continued after her retirement from the University in 2001 through an NGO. This NGO is the Vechur Conservation Trust  formed for the conservation of all the domestic animals and birds of Kerala. Almost simultaneous to the starting of Vechur cattle project, she took up conservation of a group of cattle in Kasargod area. She named them after the place and started conservation and research on this breed as well. The case of Vechur Conservation is unique because it was started at a time when Government policy was totally against the native cattle. A change in the whole concept of animal husbandry resulted from the success of the project and its popularity through sustainability and integration with agriculture, as well as acceptance from farmers. Vechur Conservation also played a role in a large elimination of poisonous pesticides and chemical fertilisers. Following the success of this movement, the government has changed its policy now to support Native cattle. This success was due to developing methods of sustainability.  The popularity of the Vechur cow among the farmers in Kerala and outside is mostly due to its heat tolerance, disease resistance, and adaptability. It is also due to the medicinal value attributed to the Vechur cow milk. 

This had been the pioneer work on conserving a threatened breed of cattle in India and Sosamma Iype says that this was made possible due to the cooperation from her team of students. The celebrations of the Biodiversity Day  held at Yashwant RaoChavan Auditorium, Mumbai werewith enthusiastic participation of all stakeholders. Organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, through the National Biodiversity Authority with support from the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board, in partnership with United Nations Development Programme and others, the event had the Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra, Shri. CH. VidyasagarRao, as the Chief Guest; and Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change presided over the event. 

Others present on the occasion were Chairperson and National Biodiversity Authority Dr. B. Meenakumari, representatives of UNDP and the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, Chairman of the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board Dr. Vilas Bardekar, and representatives of ICAR institutes, State Forest Department, Bombay National History Society, Civil Society Organizations, academic institutions, as well as students and biodiversity enthusiasts.