Pastoralism and Rangeland Management on the Tibetan Plateau in ...

For the pastoralism sector the collective ownership of livestock <strong>and</strong> the introduction
of permanent winter settlements were among the key features <strong>and</strong>
visible signs of a changing pattern of social organisation. The formation of
collective work teams <strong>and</strong> production brigades influences the division of labour
<strong>and</strong> the specialisation within animal husb<strong>and</strong>ry practices. With these reforms
a slogan came up that was repeated <strong>and</strong> kept alive for nearly two decades: “take
grain as a key link” (yi liang wei gang) which during the cultural revolution
(1966–1976) – the subsequent major intervention phase – resulted in a “grain
first” policy. Repeatedly, analysts have interpreted these interventions as a
strategy to exp<strong>and</strong> crop farming at all costs <strong>and</strong> at the cost of reducing animal
husb<strong>and</strong>ry. Peter Ho has questioned this interpretation <strong>and</strong> warned against
taking it as a reduction strategy: “From the very beginning the full slogan ran:
‘Take grain as the key link for overall development <strong>and</strong> diversification’ (yi liang
wei gang, quanmian fazhan, duozhong jingying). This slogan was accompanied
by another: ‘Agriculture, forestry, <strong>and</strong> animal husb<strong>and</strong>ry are interdependent;
not one can be omitted’ (nong, lin, mu san zhe huxiangyilai; queyi bu ke)”. 42
He emphasises the respective interventions in all sectors including animal
husb<strong>and</strong>ry as a strategy to enhance food security for society. Very restrictive approaches
that had significant flaws <strong>and</strong> caused severe problems are mentioned
here only for the purpose of their collective properties that established collective
ownership of livestock <strong>and</strong> productive infrastructure. The “iron rice bowl” as
a system of food security for the general public was envisaged, but productivity
remained low.
42 Ho 2003: 50.
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