Thumbnail Image

History of camelids

Copyright licence

Year of publication 2025

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 52 p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Category Corporate general interest

ISBN 978-92-5-139908-8

Series title Camelids: Heroes of Deserts and Highlands, Nourishing People and Culture

Series number No. 1

To cite or share https://doi.org/10.4060/cd5819en

Synopsis (short abstract) From alpacas to Bactrian camels, dromedaries, guanacos, llamas, vicuñas and wild camels, camelids contribute to food security, nutrition and economic growth. They provide transport and produce milk, meat and fibre, even under the most extreme climatic conditions. Camelids also hold strong cultural significance and make an important contribution to the conservation of fragile ecosystems. Crucially, they build resilience to the impacts of the climate crisis – particularly in mountains and drylands.This volume forms part of the series Camelids: Heroes of Deserts and Highlands, Nourishing People and Culture, developed within the framework of the International Year of Camelids 2024, declared by the United Nations. It examines the evolutionary history and process of domestication of camelids, exploring the origins of their early ancestors and the use of camelids throughout history.

Other volumes of the series can be accessed here.

Cite this content as:

FAO. 2025. History of camelids. Camelids: Heroes of Deserts and Highlands, Nourishing People and Culture. Volume 1. Rome.

https://doi.org/10.4060/cd5819en

Read on Google Books and buy online

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Brochure
    International Year of Camelids 2024
    Communications handbook and toolkit
    2024
    Also available in:
    The United Nations declared 2024 the International Year of Camelids (IYC 2024). The Year will highlight how camelids are key to the livelihoods of millions of households in hostile environments across over 90 countries, particularly Indigenous Peoples and local communities. From alpacas to Bactrian camels, dromedaries, guanacos, llamas, and vicuñas, camelids contribute to food security, nutrition and economic growth as well as holding a strong cultural and social significance for communities across the world. The International Year of Camelids 2024 aims to build awareness of the untapped potential of camelids and to call for increased investment in the camelid sector, advocating for greater research, capacity development and the use of innovative practices and technologies. The IYC communications handbook and toolkit provides background about the IYC objectives, slogan, theme, facts, key messages, calls for action and visual identity, in addition to calling for the submission of human interest stories, providing a communications toolkit and highlighting ways to get engaged in IYC celebrations.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Technical book
    Gone astray. The care and management of the Asian elephant in domesticity. 1997
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    This book addresses a wide range of subjects concerning the domesticated Asian elephants: how many there are, what traditions each country has, what kinds of relations exist between the wild and domesticated populations, what problems they are facing, and what we should do. This book presents not only good perspectives on these subjects, but also a real understanding of the domesticated Asian elephants.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Other document
    Closing ceremony of the International Year of Camelids 2024 -Agenda
    Rome, Italy, 30 June 2025
    2025
    Also available in:
    No results found.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.

Version History

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Version Date Summary
2 *
2025-08-26 13:42:18
* Selected version