GGAHP annual report 2019 ENG

1. Green Gold Animal Health Project
(January-December 2019)
Ulaanbaatar city 2019

2. 2
Abbrevations
IARRMA Inter-Aimag Reserve Rangeland Management Administration
ALMGC Agency for Land Management, Geodesy and Cartography
AFeds Aimag Federation of Pasture User Groups
APUG Soum Association of Pasture User Goups
PUG Pasture User Group
WG Working Group
SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
GGAHP Green Gold - Animal Health Project
CRH Citizens Representative Hural
NFPUG Mongolian National Federation of Pasture User Groups
NAMEM National Agency for Metereology and Environmental Monitoring
MoFALI Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry
ADFA Aimag Department of Food and Agriculture
SVABU Soum Veterinary and Breeding Unit
MALI Mongolian Association of Leather Industry
SLM Soum Land Manager
RUA Rangeland Use Agreement
SALMP Soum Annual Land Management Plan
GAV Veterinary State Authority
GASI General Authority for Special Inspection
RMW Rangeland Management Working Group
ESD Ecological Site Description
SCVL State Central Veterinary Laboratory

3. 3
Brief about the GG AHP
Reporting period 1 January - 31 December 2019
Planned budget 2,266,600 CHF
Actual spending 1,727,488 CHF
Financial delivery 82.68%
Overall goal Contribute to improved livelihood of herder households through sus-
tainable rangeland management, better marketing and a conducive legal
and policy environment.
Outcomes/Outputs 1. Outcome 1: Sustainable rangeland management is ensured
through pasture user groups (PUG) and rangeland use agreements
(RUA)
1.1 Output 1.1. Consolidation of PUG/RUA in 11 existing aimags
1.2 Output 1.2. Upscale PUG/RUA approach is supported in re-maining
7 aimags
1.3 Output 1.3. Support technical skills and database development at
national and local level state agencies for RUA
1.4 Output 1.4. Support institutional capacity development of PUG
system
2. Outcome 2: Income of herder’s households is increased through
collective market access and improved quality of livestock products
thanks to improved veterinary services
2.1 Output 2.1: Facilitated linkag-es between PUG-led coopera-tives
and processors
2.2 Output 2.2.: Enhanced capaci-ties of PUG based coopera-tives
2.3 Output 2.3: Improved product quality of selected livestock products
2.4 Output 2.4: Improved access to veterinary services in se-lected
aimags
3. Outcome 3: Conducive policy environment for effective animal
health system and sustaina-ble rangeland are supported
3.1 Output 3.1.: Support legal en-vironment for animal health and
rangeland
3.2 Output 3.2.: Support policy measures based on demand by
ministries/agencies
Beneficiaries 80’000 herder households (320’000 people, 50%F); 7’000 herders’
leaders (30%F), civil servants (15%F), and elected khural members
(10%F); 25’000 herder households (100’000 people) with access to micro
grants through matching funds or credit and saving cooperatives; 500
members (30%F) of 100 cooperatives; veterinarians/agricultural officers
(20%F); owners of processing companies (50%F);
Partners MoFALI, National and Aimag Federation of PUGs, NAMEM, ALMGC,
VABA, MSUA, NUM, NAEC, aimag, soum governments, PUGs, herders,
Mongolian wool and cashmete association, Mongolian Associaiton of
Leather Industry, private sector stakeholders
SDC Contribution 9.8 Mio CHF

4. 4
Summary
GG AHP consolidation phase aims to ensure sustainability of the project initiatives thus
focuses on capacity development and policy support from partner government organizations,
NGOs and private sector stakeholders. There are 9 different national organizations GG AHP
is working with on rangeland management, animal health and market access issues. In order
to monitor the progress, GG AHP has developed Exit/Legacy strategy in the beginning of the
phase identyfing key 8 legacies and local partners to continue. The Strategy also involves
their needs of capacity development and resources as well as milestones to achieve in terms
of responsibility and financial committemnt by each year (Annex 1). Exit/Legacy strategy is
used as a reference document for the planning of Yearly Plan of Operations and budget.
GG AHP consolidation phase has identified three main outcomes. Outcome 1 is to ensure
sustainable rangeland management through increased and improved pasture user groups
and rangeland use agreements. The main partners for Outcome 1 are Mongolian national
Federation of PUGs of herders, MoFALI/Reserve rangeland administration, ALAMGC,
NAMEM, MULS and NAEC.
MNPUGs has facilitated formation of 1509 PUGs in 157 soums of 18 aimags, 1065 of which
established Rangeland use agreements. These PUGs represent 81 600 herder households
and cover 62.5 million hectors which constitute 57% of total Mongolian rangelands. 23.5
million ha is covered by Rangeland use agreement. As of December 2019, 19 800 hectors of
degraded rangelands have recovered thanks to longer time resting. There is an increasing
investment of herders and local government on rangeland management issues such as
forage planting, hay making, improved rotational grazing management, rehabilitation of wells
and improving animal productivity. In 2019, herders and local government total investment
counts at 1.5 billion MNT which is 600 million MNT higher than last year. Increasing
awareness of rangeland degradation, information and tools made available through GG AHP
on carrying capacity, stocking density and overstocking, and current state of rangeland health
are gradually changing the attitude of these two main stakeholders. In several soums herders
have started collecting grazing fee on a voluntary basis and set up Rangeland risk funds. As
of 2019, 14 soums of 5 aimags have set up Rangeland risk funds and accumulated 80.7
million MNT. In the absence of Rangeland management legislations, MNPUGs has facilitated
in cooperation with partners adoption of Soum and Aimag Rangeland regulations to address
rangeland degration problem. Starting with Bayanhongor aimag in 2018, now there are 12
aimags and 42 soums have adopted Rangeland regulations. GG AHP has been providing
technical assistance through partners in the capacity of Working Group made of experts from
all relevant from ALAMGC, NAMEM, GAVS, Department of Agriculture, and NAEC.
ALAMGC is the main partner to ensure sustainability of grazing impact photo monitoring
system and monitoring spots are established in 4781 spots in seasonal grazing rangelands
of 1509 PUGs established and updated annually. Grazing impact monitoring is one of the
main tools to enforce implementation of RUAs. PUGs are in various stages of development
and MNPUGs has developed monitoring tools to provide technical and training assistance
tailored to their needs. The initiative of GG AHP to register herders’ seasonal rangelands
based on PUG RUAS has been continued by ALAMGC and MNPUGs and as of December
2019, about 455 RUAs have been registered. The RUA is the legal document to ensure
traditional user rights of herders.
Rangeland ecological reference database is maintained at the NAMEM and since the
establishment eight year data has been restored and this reference databased is used to
monitor changes in the rangeland health when monitoring the implementation of PUG RUAs
at the ALAMGC NAMEM releases every three year national rangeland health assessment
report and two editions (2015, 2018) were published with the technical support of GG AHP.
The next edition is due in 2021. In order to make ecological reference database more user
friendly and more accurate NAMEM has ben converting dot map into raster form and as of
December 2019, 11 aimag database has been converted with technical assistance from
GG AHP.

5. 5
MoFALI is the main partner develop and implement policy in rangeland management issues,
yet there is no institutional structure except one rangeland expert working on policy level
because of unclear legal and policy environment for rangeland management in Mongolia. as
idenffied in the Exit/Legacy Strategy, GG AHP has been promoting to expand existing
Reserve Rangeland Administration to overlook the management of entire national
rangelands. Since 2017, at the request of MoFALI, GG AHP has been supporting Reserve
Rangeland Administration to improve management of 9 National Reserve rangelands. The
NAEC has been supported to adopt responsible rangeland management approach and RUA
principles in the aimags where livestock herding is combined with crop farming. They are new
partners for the GG AHP has started working since 2017/2018 yet making smooth
progresses.
GG AHP Outcome 2 aims to increase herder households’ income through collective market
access and improved quality of livestock products (including better veterinary services).
Under outcome 2, GG AHP aims to strengthen marketing cooperatives established next to
APUGs and Aimag Federations. GG AHP support in the consolidation phase focus on
organizational capacity and governance and leadership skills development. Herders
marketing cooperatives are increasingly gaining financial and operational strength. In 2019,
4 marketing cooperatives and 7 Savings and Credit cooperatives (SCCs) have been
established and now there are 105 cooperaives established with the support from GG AHP.
There are 206 women working in leadership positions. 189 are elected in the Steering
committee and 20 is elected as Cooperative Director. Compared to baseline of 2018, it has
increased by 37%. The income of cooperatives has increased by 7.0 billion MNT and
according to cooperative leaders the extra income is mainly due to caution of herders of
difficult winter leading to sell more livestock in the market. SCCs are in various stages of
development. According to internal monitoring total active has reached 5.4 billion MNT and
members contribution stands at 640.0 million MNT. Shared capital per members on average
is 101 300 MNT. There is an increasing interest of herders to open savings account in the
SCCs. 2019 marks the highest increase of meat export in the past decade and compared to
the same period of 2018. Horse meat export has increased by 19.6% and sheep and goats’
meat export by 28%. Overall, there is an increasing willingness of herders to sell livestock
exceeding the carrying capacity of rangelands gradually year by year. However, according to
GG AHP experience from the field, demand from processing plants and supply from herders
don’t match in terms of expected quality and standards, Animal health traceability system
developed at the GAVS and “Responsible Nomads” Livestock raw material traceability
system developed and maintained at the MNPUGs with the support from GG AHP open a
breakthough solution. Capitalizing on infrastructure created within GG AHP in partner
institutions on rangeland health monitoring, collective institutions of herders (PUGs,
cooperatives), their RUAs, raw material supply chain, animal health information database
and traceability has started to develop livestock raw material quality traceability system
named “Responsible Nomads” since 2018. As of December 2019, 29 Aimag Federation of
APUGs, APUGs and PUG cooperatives and 10 meat, milk and cashmere wool processing
plants have been registered in the system. 304 tons of milk, 140 528 heads of livestock and
10 tons of yak wool and cashmere have been sold through the traceability system and
certificate of origin and quality has been issued. In 2019 smart phone application has been
developed for the system to further increase access to markets. Animal health traceability
system has been handed over to GAVS Sep 2018. Since then, 3785 digital veterinary
certificates have been issued for herders and buyers. The system has been expanded to the
network of Police stations all over the country after signing cooperation agreement between
GAVS and Central Police office to address animal thiefing problem.
Ouctome 3 is to facilitate conducive policy environment for effective animal health system
and sustainable rangeland management. GG AHP Project Coordinator has been working the
Working Group set up at the MoFALI with the mandate to formulate and submit the
Rangeland law for about 2 years. In 2019, the Working Group has merged 3 versions of the
Law initiated by various stakeholders and finalized the Draft. At the initiative of Standing

6. 6
Committee for Environment and Rural Development of the Parliament, SDC GG AHP and
FAO has teamed up to support MoFALI to facilitate nationwide consultation of herder
households involving representatives from each of 360 soums in May 2019. The morning
session was chaired by Mr. L. Eldev-Ochir, Member of the Parliament and Chairman of the
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Food and Agriculture. The topics
focused on the current state of rangeland health in Mongolia, the concept of the new law and
the experiences made at local level with Pasture User Groups of herders, Rangeland Use
Agreement and its enforcement and monitoring tools. Mr. Ch. Ulaan, Minister of MoFALI,
chaired the afternoon session, which was all about the growing number of animals exceeding
the carrying capacity of rangelands, best practices and lessons learned at local level on
accountability systems and benefits of rangeland risk funds. There was strong common
agreement about the need for the law and participants shared positive experiences at local
level particularly with SDC’s Green Gold-Animal Health project. Several herders raised the
importance of fair collection and utilization of related grazing fees at soum level.
Participants furthermore highlighted to apply a holistic approach to rangeland protection
taking also into account the impact of irresponsible mining activities, road construction and
tourism. Moreover, many highlighted the opportunities in ecologically friendly and organic
farming markets as well as continuous improvement of veterinary services to improve access
to domestic and foreign markets.
Animal health law is in the second year of implementation. Previous Animal Health project of
SDC has played an important role in the formulation and adoption of this important law for
about a decade. SDC has made available additional funding in 2018 to support MoFALI and
GAVS in the implementation of the law spefically development of secondary legislation and
regulations. Since 2018, GG AHP has supported formulation and adoption of 105 legal
documents of new Animal Health Law. In 2019, GG AHP has supported additional 2
regulations, 1 plan and 1 methodology and 6 legal acts for the implementation of Animal
Health Law. Alongside, GG AHP has focused on capacity development on three main issues
hindering meat export in Mongolia. Animal health traceability system to certify the origin and
health of the animal. Previously animal health certificate was issued based on basically
assumption and visual check of local veterinarians. With the online health traceability system
recording the origin (herder family), veterinary services provided and disease history of the
animal, animal health certificate has become more solid and trustworthy. Second main
challenge is the control of drug residual. GG AHP has been providing an assistance to GAVS
to develop specific regulation to implement national drug residual monitoring program. Third
issue is how to define and implement disease free zone. With the vast territory and border
lines share with two big neigbhors there is often outbreak of infectious disease transported
with wild animals or outbreak in certain soums and aimags. As Mongolia doesn’t have the
system to prove that some regions are disease free, export from entire Mongolian is banned.
GG AHP has initiated the software/application for State Central Veterinary Laboratory to
collect data from all around the country and create database based on which to prove and
validate disease free zones.
Every year GG AHP team review the implementation of Exit/Legacy strategy and there are
5 legacies may not reach their targets at the closure of GG AHP in 2020 and to be looked at
the during Final Evaluation and Capitalization. These are how to ensure sustainability of PUG
RUA approach in the newly covered aimags, capacity development needs at the herder and
soum level to operate Responsible Nomads Traceability system to upgrade the market
access of herders and value of livestock products, demand driven extension services based
on the structure of PUGs and linking PUGs and APUGs with research institutions and NAEC,
and how to ensure continued professional assistance to remaining 60 PUGs MFs transform
into SCCs beyond 2020.
Overall, in 2019, GG AHP project has achieved its targeted objectives. The main challenge
has been delayed financial audit of SDC for partner companies which has completed in June.
Because of this, seasonal activities have been postponed and majority of activities carried
out in the second half of the year. It has been notifided to SDC Management.

7. 7
Outcome 1: Sustainable rangeland management is ensured through increased and improved
pasture user groups and rangeland use agreements
Output 1.1 Consolidation of PUG/RUA approach in 11 existing aimags
Indicator 1 Number of signed RUAs
Indicator 2 Co financing of rangeland investments by public funding and herders
Indicator 1: Number of signed RUAs
As of December 2019, Mongolian National Federation of PUGs (MNPUGs) has facilitated
creation of 1509 PUGs of herders in 183 soums. 1243 PUGs or 82% of PUGs belong to 7
old and 4 middle level aimags. In these aimags, MNPUGs support focus on improving
capacity of local stakeholders to ensure the enforcement mechanisms of the PUG RUAs and
registration of RUAs in the national land management database at the ALAMGC.
Rangeland management working groups (RMWG) have been formed and working in 157
soums involving representatives of various departments of Soum Government and Soum
Association of PUGs and herders, and department of Aimag Government and Aimag
Federation of APUGs at the aimag level. RMWGs play a key role to introduce the PUG RUA
approach, building up necessary capacity and skills, and to improve coordination and
cooperation among local stakeholders to implement project activities in the field. The RMWGs
are chaired by Deputy Soum Governors and Aimag Soum Governors. There are 1650 civil
servants in the RMWGs working at the soum and aimag level have been capacitated with the
support from GG AHP project. As of December 2020, 42 soums and 12 aimags have
formulated and adopted Soum and aimag Regulations of Rangeland management with the
approval of Soum and Aimag Citizens Meetings. PUG RUA approach creates the basis of
Soum and Aimag Rangeland regulaitons and is the main policy and legal framework to
ensure sustainability of the approach and promote sustainable management of rangelands.
Picture 1: MNPUGs coverage.

8. 8
Table 1: Soums which have adopted Rangeland regulations by 2019
№ Aimags Soums № Aimags Soums
1 Arkhangai Tsahir 22 Bayanhongor Bumbugur
2 Arkhangai Battsengel 23 Bayanhongor Bayantsagaan
3 Zavkhan Aimag regulation 24 Bayanhongor Shinejinst
4 Zavkhan Santmargats 25 South Gobi Sevrei
5 Zavkhan Shiluustei 26 South Gobi Khanhongor
6 Zavkhan Tsagaankhairhan 27 Hovd Bulgan
7 Zavkhan Tes 28 Hovd Duut
8 Zavkhan Asgat 29 Hovd Myangad
9 Gobi-Altai Bayan-uul 30 Hovd Uench
10 Gobi-Altai Chandmana 31 Hovd Munkhhairhan
11 Uvs Davst 32 Hovd Mankhan
12 Uvs Bukhmurun 33 Hovd Hovd
13 Selenge Tsagaannuur 34 Hovd Erdeneburen
14 Bayanhongor Aimag regulation 35 Uvurkhangai Bat-Ulzii
15 Bayanhongor Bogd 36 Uvurkhangai Uyanga
16 Bayanhongor Jinst 37 Uvurkhangai Zuun bayan-
Ulaan
17 Bayanhongor Bayanlig 38 Uvurkhangai Khujirt
18 Bayanhongor Bayangobi 39 Dornod Tsagaan-ovoo
19 Bayanhongor Gurvanbulag 40 Huvsgul Tsagaan-Uul
20 Bayanhongor Zag 41 Henty Norovlin
21 Bayanhongor Baatsagaan 42 Tuv Lun
Majority of herders even in the absence of legal environment express their willingness to pay
grazing fee and see the economic incentive as the most effective tool to address
over stocking issue. All Soum and Aimag Rangeland Regulations include articles on the
collection of grazing fee and establishment of Rangeland Risk Funds out of income of
grazings fees, and to spend on investments projects to improve rangeland management.
Grazing fee fixation methodology varies depending on the context ranging from imposing per
head of sheep units above the carrying capacity or flat rate for all the livestock. Several soum
governments have co financed Rangeland Risk Funds from Soum Local Development
Funds. Soum Rangeland Risk Funds created in 18 soums in Hovd, Zavkhan, Uvs, Gobi-Altai
and Bayan-Ulgy aimags collected 268.0 Million MNT of which 165.2 Million MNT were
contributed from 6000 herder families, 38.2 Million MNT from local budgets and LDFs and
GG AHP funding contributed 65.0 Million MNT. One soum in Bayan-Olgy aimag created
Rangeland protection fund out of income from Herders Savings and Credit cooperative. In
2019, herders have spent 31.7 Million MNT from Soum Rangeland Risk Funds to prepare for
winter planting and buying forage, hay, rehabilitating hay storage for winter and combating
rodents. Soum Rangeland Risk Funds are replenished annually.
Table 2: Soum Rangeland Risk funds in brief
Aimags Soums Grazing
fee by
herders
Sources Spending
(MNT)
Expenditure
Herders Domestic Project
Zavhan Santmargats 213 11,250,000 6,000,000 6,000,000
Shiluustei 410 9,165,850 5,000,000 5,000,000
Tes 405 6,000,000 6,000,000 6,000,000 6,600,000 Forage planting
Asgat 32 2,350,000 2,000,000 5,000,000 2,000,000 Forage planting
Gobi-
Altai
Bayan-uul
612 18,150,000 6,000,000 18,650,000 Forage planting
Rodents control
Uvs
Davst soum,
Khandgait bag
28 3,000,000 1,500,000 4,500,000 Hay making
Foarge
warehouse
Davst soum
Torhilog Bag
10 900,000 1,500,000
Buhmurun
soum Gurvan
Jigertei bag
8 500,000 1,500,000

9. 9
One of the main conditions of the RUA is to introduce planned rotational grazing management
to reduce grazing pressure on heavily degraded rangelands: 50% of the PUGs implement
grazing management as per recommendations from soum land manager and rangeland
specialist while resting and freeing heavily degraded rangelands from animal grazing during
critical regeneration time. According to National Rangeland health assessment, rangeland
degradation has reduced to 57% from 65% in 2015 attributes to the consistency of herders
to improve grazing management in degraded rangelands.
The example of all PUGs in Ikh Tamir soum of Arkhangai aimag shows that degraded
rangelands response positively to improve grazing management according to rangeland
photomonitoring results in ALAMGC. 33200 hectors of rangelands have been rested for
2 consecutive years between June-August and has recovered. Green mass and productivity
have increased by 1.5 folds in 2 years (Picture 2).
Picture 2: Ikhtamir soum of Arkhangai aimag rangeland recovery in 2017 and 2019.
Buhmurun
soums Khar
Altat bag
6 400,000 1,500,000
Bayan-
Olgy
Altai 350 2,500,000 5,000,000 Forage planting
Bugat 320 1,250,000
Bulgan 450 650,000
Deluun 520 2,500,000
Ulaankhus 650 3,800,000
Tsengel 2000 18,000,000 15,000,000 Forage planting
Aimag
Federation
580 5,000,000 27,000,000 Forage planting
Ховд Munkhhairhan 14,400,000 3,700,000 5,000,000
Chandmana 8,000,000 5,000,000 6,000,000
Duut 13,800,000 3,000,000 5,000,000
Erdeneburen 8,000,000 3,500,000 5,000,000
Manhan 35,600,000 4,000,000 10,000,000
Total 6594 165,215,850 38,200,000 65,000,000 78,750,000
Халхи 2017 Халхи 2019
Имт 2017 Имт 2019

10. 10
Examples of best practices:
Bayan-Uul soum APUG and Aimag Federation of APUGs of Gobi-Altai aimag has jointly
lobbied in cooperation with the herders the enactment of Soum rangeland regulation
throughout a year at the Bag Citizens Meetings. The Regulation has provisions to create
Rangeland risk fund each of herder family contributing 100 MNT per head of sheep units as
well as provsions on the management, spending and monitoring of the Fund. Annually
70-80% of the Risk Fund will be used and re filled based on the number of livestock by the
end of previous year. The fund will be replenished annually. The Monitoring Board members
of the Rangeland Risk fund are elected every 2 years with 7 members. As of August 2019,
612 herder families have contributed 18.6 million MNT. As Bayan-Uul soum has no hay
making area, herders prepare hay for winter from neignboring soums and aimags and in
winter because of shortage, they used to pay very high price. Starting from 2019, herders will
use Rangeland Risk Fund to prepare hay and forage in advance for winter. One of the PUGs
in Bayan-Uul soum has bought 15 tons of hay in early autumn using Rangeland Risk Fund
and sold herders at a lower price and replenished Rangeland Rsk Fund again before winter.
With enactment of Soum Rangeland Regulation, conflicts among herders with access to
rangelands have reduced. It even has has legalized that herders coming from neighboring
soums for grazing or wintering to pay grazing fee which will be collected in the Rangeland
Risk Fund.
Soum Rangeland Management Working Group and herders are cooperating on the
enforcement of Soum Rangeland Regulation: Duut soum of Hovd aimag has adopted
Soum Rangeland Regulation in 2018. In order to prevent heavily degraded rangelands from
further degradation herders of “Shiver” Bag has arranged to operate guard at the rangelands
all year around. Rangeland guards are there to make sure that rangelands are rested and
free from livestock in consecutive 2 years.
Davst soum of Uvs aimag 50 PUG members have agreed to move away 36375 heads of
livestoock 100% in order to rest their heavily degraded summer rangelands for 1 year.
In order to do so they had move extra 125km away so that animals dont reach degraded
rangelands. Soum Government has provided herders with fuel to move. As 2019 had a good
rainfall, summer rangelands have shown signs of recovery, and herders are very pleased
with the result. According to photo monitoring database of rangeland health at the ALAMGC,
productivity has increased by 0.7 per cent.
Indicator 2: Co financing of rangeland investments by public funding and herders
In 2019, GG AHP through Mongolian National Federation of PUGs has co financed 102 small
projects of herders from 66 soums to improve rangeland management. GG AHP contribution
is used as a seed funding to encourage herders and local government to raise fundind and
gradually appropriate financial resources on rangeland management projects. Small projects
include improving grazing management, forage planting, improving the usage and
rehabilitation of old wells, combating rodents and investment in high productivity animals.
Compared to baseline of 2018, investment in rangeland management has increased by two
folds in 2019. Herders being organized into PUGs idenfying common needs and benefits and
lobbying for changes in local policy have resulted in increasing attention and investment from
Government. State budget investment on rangeland improvent has increased by six times
compared to that of 2018. For instance, investment in the rehabilitation of old wells and
creation of new ones have enhanced in the Gobi aimags. Second biggest investment is on
the protection of hay making area and planting livestock forage.
In the figure below shows investment of aimag government budget on supporting herders to
get organized into PUGs, improve grazing management as well as co financing from herder

11. 11
community. For instance, Dorno Gobi aimag has invested 309 million MNTfrom aimag state
budget and herders of Gobi Altai aimag has spent 102.9 Milion MNT.
Exeamples of best practices:
Arkhangai Aimag Federation of APUGs: Arkhangai Aimag Federation of APUGs has
co financed 6 projects submitted by 16 PUGs of 4 soums to support the implementation of
Rangeland use agreement. The small action projects were on improving hay making area
and forage planting.
Bornuur soum of Tivs aimag: 11 PUGs have planted mixed forage seeds in 10 hectors with
the technical support from NAEC. The NAEC has assisted with the selection of seed variates
and planting technique and technology. This has been a joint project among MNPUGs, NAEC
and local government using the project as a demo event for herders to gradually shift into
semi sedentary herding in the region where crop farming is developing. Herders harvested
114.5 tons of forage for winter from 10 hectors. Demo training has been organized three
times in the field for herders on how to process and prepare soil, selection of forage seed
varieties, planting and harvesting technology. Based on the project, NAEC has developed 3
different training manuals and video training. 160 herders from 5 neigboring soums took part
in the project. Herders have developed an innovative model of how to share their harvests
based on the contributions to the project in cash and in labor form, and selling remaining
amount in the market and the income of which will be used to prepare the field for next year
planting.
Delger soum of Gobi-Altai aimag: Herder G. Lhajav from Delger soum of Gobi Altai aimag
has been setting a good example for his community to address over stocking challenge. He
has been elected as PUG leader and own 2378 livestock which exceeds the carrying capacity
of rangelands by 3 times. G. Lhajav has been implementing three-year plan to reduce
stocking rate while improving productivity per head of animal and structure of the herd. He is
registered in Responsible Nomads digital livestock raw material traceability system and sold
880 livestock in the past three years. He has a plan to establish Milking camel farm and made
a contract with UB based company which produces dried camel milk for international market.
G. Lhajav wrote a proposal and got fundung of 10.0 millionn MNT support from LDF to buy
necessary equipment for milking camel farm.
Output 1.2 Up scale of the PUG/RUA approach is supported in 7 new aimags
Indicator 1 Number of PUGs established in 7 new aimags
Indicator 2 Number of newly established PUGs signed RUAs
Indicator 1: Number of PUGs established in 7 new aimags
Mongolian National PUG Federation has facilitated establishment of 64 PUGs and 1 Soum
Association of PUGs in 2019. This means that as of December 2019, 81600 herder families
have been organized into 1509 PUGs in 183 soums. Soum Assocations of PUGs organized
in 157 soums and Aimag Federation of APUGs in 18 aimags.
In order to ensure that PUGs are provided with continued good quality extension services,
GG AHP has been cooperating with the MULS to develop extension materials based on the
experiences of herders and PUGs on how to manage grazing pressure, stocking rate and
density, herd structure in accordance with ecological carrying capacity of rangelands in
different conditions of rangeland recovery classes and quality.
With increasing awareness among herders of over stocking, they look for options to increase
productivity per head of livestock, better market access and value for products. There is a big

12. 12
change in the attitude of herders seeing family income increase opportunity merely from
increasing livestock number to improving productivity per head at the least to main the same
number of livestock. With the support from GG AHP, MULS in cooperation with the NAEC
has developed a simple software to plan herd size and structure in the short, medium and
long term reflecting rangeland carrying capacity. The software is developed as a tool for soum
breeding experts and tailored to various ecological conditions of rangelands in Mongolia.
Soum breeding experts are trained to develop stocking rate adjustment plan (short, medium
and long term) for herder families based on annual carrying capacity of rangelands
(bams.digitalmedic.mn). The software has been adopted in 24 soums with advanced PUG
system of 24 aimags by MULS experts. The program has led to update several standards on
reproductive capacity of Mongolinian breeds of livestock and productivity norms. The
operational manual has been developed and distributed to soum breeding experts. This will
also be used for students studying in breeding and animal health departmemts of the MULS.
The manual is also accompanied by on-line training to increase the reach out.
According to software estimation, animal numbers in these 24 soums have exceeded the
carrying capacity on average by 50%. Particularly, the highest rate of over stocking is found
in mountain steppe region (the most productive regions). Lesser overstocking is observed in
the aimags where dzud has occured subsequently in the recent years with significant
reduction of animals due to dzud.
Stocking rate adjustment plan was made for up to 10 years in these 24 soums taking into
account current state of rangeland health, carrying capacity projections and proportion of
herd structure as well as female and male animals. About 228 PUGs of 24 soums have
adopted and implementing 10 years stocking rate adjustment plan in order to balance number
of livestock with current carrying capacity of rangelands. In 2019, these PUGs have sold
minimum 8 per cent of total livestock maximum 20 per cent following the stocking rate
adjustment plan attached to the Rangeland use agreement. All together herders of model
soums have sold livestock equivalent of 2,080,746 sheep units through supply agreement
established with cooperatives.
The software takes into account proper ratio between males and female animals and provides
recommendation to herders from each types of animal how many he or she could sell. For
instance, overall herders from 24 soums recommended for sale 690.884 sheep as per
stocking rate adjustment plan and herders have sold 181,492 which is 26.3 per cent of the
plan. In case of goats, planned sales were 572,312 heads, out of which 17.1 per cent or
98,117 heads. Herders have sold more cattle, horse and camels than goats and sheep. Out
of total planned 97036 heads of cattle herders have sold 48.5 per cent or 47018 heads. Out
of total 53985 heads planned herders have sold 33,4 per cent or 18031 heads. Out of planned
heads of 749, herders have sold 88.5 per cent or 661 heads of camels.
This program allows soum experts to monitor sales record of herders as well as which
animals are sold better each year. For example, in 2019, demand for goats and sheep were
less than cattle, camel and horse.
Table 3: Stocking rate management plan in 24 pilot soums
№ Aimags Soums
Number of
animals
exceed CC
(2018)
2019
Planned
reduction
Performance
Малын тоо Малын тоо Хувь
1 Arkhangai
Ikh Tamir 462726 183665 9970 5,43
Undur ulaan 491945 219232 185155 84,46
Tariat 319745 116032 8153 7,03
Total 1274416 518929 203278 39,17
2 Bayanhongor
Bogd 85074 52274 8627 16,50
Jinst 65451 50495 14342 28,40

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Total 150525 102769 22968,8 22,35
3 Bayan-Olgy
Buyan 88433 35052 5729 16,34
Ulaanhus 103721 83392 35773 42,90
Total 192154 118444 41501,4 35,04
4 Gobi-Altai
Delger 113582 103491 631 0,61
Chandmana 49694 43081 11322 26,28
Total 163276 146572 11952,8 8,15
5 Uvs
Bukhmurun 94170 46507 12481 26,84
Davst 50511 28670 7693 26,83
Total 144681 75177 20173,8 26,84
6 Hovd
Duut 76943 63326 2700 4,26
Munkhairkhan 74943 59925 1500 2,50
Chandmana 144165 82536 1400 1,70
Total 296051 205787 5600 2,72
7 Zavkhan
Bayantes 65414 35265 16567 46,98
Santmargats 22511 18512 12976 70,10
Shiluustei 46031 35513 8100 22,81
Erdenehairkhan 75730 67848 27144 40,01
Total 209686 157138 64787 41,23
8 Huvsgul
Arbulag 204234 64321 42599 66,23
Tsagaan-uul 271071 141671 63744 44,99
Tsetserleg 181050 85458 39428 49,85
Total 656355 291450 145770,6 50,02
9 Uvurhangai
Bat-Ulzii 396210 149862 98831 65,95
Uyanga 462046 214268 21506 10,04
Total 858256 364130 120336,6 33,05
10 Tuv
Undurshireet 133855 100350 36783 36,65
Total 133855 100350 36783 36,65
Total 4079255 2080746 673152 32,35
Second topic MULS and NAEC is working is how to make a selective breeding within the
herd in order to improve quality and productivity per head. One of the reasons of increasing
animal numbers is that animal breeding services has ceased to exist in the past 20 years. In
pilot three soums a herd of 164 high quality male breeding animals of sheep, goat and cattle
have been created and started providing services.
Third extension project implemented on the preparation of high quality and nutritious forage
in addition to rangeland grazing. According to experts and researchers, animal quality and
productivity depends on forage by 70%. The project has demonsrated to herders how quality
and productivity of animals is linked with rangeland productivity or degradation. According to
experimemtal research, live weight of ewe under additional feeding in early spring weights
three times higher, and milk yield is 74-80% higher and wool productivity 200gr higher.
Demonstration training has been carried out as well on the protection of hay making area and
forage planting using animal manure, and selection of suitable species of forage plants for
various ecological conditions and annual rainfall. During pilot project, local specialists and
herders have jointly re vitalized hand made forage menu and production technology which
has been documented in manual and video forms to share with more herders and local
specialists in the region. Herders have provided feedback that hand made forage using local

14. 14
species although small in amount is much more nurtricious than forage sold in the market in
big amount.
In connection wih enactment of Animal Genetics Law, MULS and NAEC has joined based on
the experiences of working together within GG AHP to develop an integrated model of
extension service for herders in three of pilot 24 soums based on the structure of PUGs and
APUGs. The main aim is to improve accessibility of herders to extension services.
Demonstration model in the example Ikh Tamir soum of Arkhangai aimag in 2019 was highly
appreciated by MoFALI Minister and Aimag government. MULS and NAEC is planning to
consolidate the model and present to MoFALI and Aimag governments to up scaling.
Fourth extension product focuses on one of the ranglelands most degraded are found along
river valleys around Mongolia. These rangelands make only 3% of total territory and has very
important ecosystem services for wildlife in Mongolia. Rivers are essential source of water
for herders and animals alike, and their degradation causing tremendious challenges.
GG AHP has been supporting MULS researchers to make detailed assessment and develop
specific recommendations on the level of degradation. At the invitation of GG AHP
researchers from Nevada university of USA specialized in river basin ecosystem services
has visited Mongolia in 2017. Following the visit, cooperation agreement has been signed
between University of Nevada and MULS. The main objective is to exchange experiences,
create awareness of the river basin ecosystem services and provide methodological support.
MULS has set up the research area at the main surface water resource of Forest Mountain
region of Mongolia, Ikh Tamir river of Arkhangai aimag.
According to preliminiary findings of research at the Ikh Tamis river, its ecosystem services
have been declining, and in some areas, it has reached the risk of complete degradation.
One of the main reasons is that deforestation and consistent grazing and animal trumpling.
It is seen in water level declining and sources disappearing. In the past, Ikh Tamir river had
two streams, and one of the streams has completely exhausted. In order to address this
drastic change in the past 15 years, recommendations were provided to herders and local
government to free river basing from animal grazing at the least up to 3 years and support re
planting of indigenous speces of trees and perennial and annual grasses.

15. 15
According to local people and experts sudden increase of livestock number and grazing
intensity is the main cause of Ikh Tamir river basin deteroriation. Between 1970-1996 number
of livestock has been kept below 100 000 near the river basin, yet by 2019 it counts 358 500.
The researchers have also produced specific per PUG recommendations on water access to
the rivers. The immediate action is to free from livestock grazing to let pereannual and annual
grasses to regenerate to protect the water source. In the longer run, indigenous tree species
to be re planted.
Moreover, GG AHP has been supporting State Reserve rangeland Adminisration to introduce
RUA to manage grazing pressure. In 2017, it has supported introduction of RUA in the main
state reserve areas in eastern region. In 2018, RUA has been introduced in state reserve
areas western and central aimags, and in 2019 two remaining state reserves in Hovd and
Uvs aimags. One of the main findings is that high grazing intensity with too many animals
repeatedly for many years, has led to severe deterioration. It has been communicated by
Reserve Rangeland Administration to MoFALI since 2017 and in 2019 Central Government
has issued a resolution to have each soum to set aside Reserve rangelands. National
Rangeland health assessment findings have been used as the basis for MoFALI and Reserve
rangeland administration to define suitable area for Reserve rangelands in each of the 360
soums. GG AHP will be providing technical assistance to MoFALI undertake feasibility study
through Reserve Rangeland Administration and develop Action Plan.
Green Gold Animal Health Project in partnership with ALAMGC and MNPUGs has been
implementing nationwide grazing impact photo monitoring system since 2017. As of
December 2019, there are 4781 photomonitoring spots were installed. In 2019 additonal 2809
spots were identified. These monitoring spots cover 320 soums of 21 aimags and sub
districts. Grazing impact photo monitoring is the most detailed coverage having one spot in
each of the 4 seasonal rangelands of PUGs nationwide. Photomonitoing database is linked
into the NAMEM system that GG AHP has upgraded collecting data from stations installed in
each of 1516 baghs. NAMEM system is used as reference for ecological potential of
rangelands. Annual photomonitoring results by ALAMGC show how rangelands have altered
compared to reference ecological potential.
Picture 3: ALAMGC monitoring system shows changes in rangeland health annually.
Example: Khavtgai PUGs of Bayannuur soum with improved grazing and stocking density
management, has improved rangeland productivity by 39%.
According to 2019 monitoring based on 4781 spots from 320 soums, majority of rangelands
in Tuv, Darkhan-uul, Selenge, Sukhbaatar, Uvurkhangai and Henty aimags have degraded
below the national average level. Semi desert rangelands of Dorno Gobi, South Gobi,
Bayanhongor, Gobi Altai and Hovd aimags remain relatively healthy as grazing pressure is
much less. According to current rangeland health monitoring system, livestock number
equivalent of 77 million sheep units may winter, however, current number of livestock equals
110 million sheep units exceeding carrying capacity by far 33 million sheep units. Products
and findings of annual grazing impact photo monitoring system provides this real time
information on carrying capacity and recovery potentials for decision makers at the local level
and herders to manage stocking density and plan and implement their grazing management.

16. 16
Picture 4. Rangeland health carrying capacity and stocking rate
Some examples of best practices:
Santmargats soum of Zavkhan aimag: Santmargats soum of Zavkhan aimag has been
implementing photo monitoring program for entire rangelands since 2013. In the seasonal
grazing lands of 5 PUGs, 14 photo monitoring spots have been installed. Real time and more
accurate information on rangeland health help Soum Citizens Meeting, Soum and Bag
governors to make timely decision on annual grazing and stocking management. These
include recommendations on rotational grazing plans, not to over stock degraded rangelands,
and resting plans based on annual carrying capacity and productivity of rangelands. For
instance, in 2019, PUGs have rested 2050 hectors of heavily degraded rangelands in 5
locations. Herders have tracked down movements of rodents and identified main
underground habitats to eliminate. In 2019, from local budget 11 million MNT was spent to
combat rodents spread over 10400 hectors, and rebhabilitated 5 manual wells for the
animals. Soum Governor states PUGs makes it easier for herders to cooperate on shared
rangeland management and get construictive support from government. Division of
responsibilities between herders and local government is getting clearar and state budget is
spent as well on most priority needs of herders. According to rangeland health photo
monitoring results, green mass of most degraded winter and spring rangelands has improved
by 23-45%.
Picture 3: 600 hectors of degraded rangelands have recovered in terms of productivity by
30% of Ikh Magrats PUG of Bayandavs Bagh of Santmargats soum.

17. 17
Indicator 2: Number of newly established PUGs signed RUAs
MNPUGs has been leading establishment of RUAs in the new aimags. In 2019, MNPUGs
has facilitated formation of 96 PUG RUAs which has increased from baseline of 2018 by 8
times. In the 7 old aimags, PUG RUA establishment has been quicker, yet in the new 11
aimags it takes time. Because in the old aimags, the basis has already been laid down by
GG AHP, and establishment of RUA and update with new enforcement tools went smoothly.
MNPUGs has devoted main resources and time for the new aimags on capacity development
of local specialists, training and awareness raising activities among herders to introduce and
ensure sustainability of PUG RUA approach. The major problems in the soums of new
aimags are conflicts among herders with access to shared rangelands and high level of
rangeland degradation and overstocking.
Figure 1. Number of PUR RUAs established by aimags.
Herders see the rangeland use agreement as a legal document to protect their user rights for
their traditional rangelands. On many occasions, Rangeland use agreement has been used
as a legal tool to acknowledge and protect herders their traditional rangelands. For instance,
in Bat-Ulzii soum of Uvurkhangai aimag, PUGs have been sending letters to local government
and illegal miners to stop operating mining activities in abandoned gold mining site for several
years without success. This was formerly rangelands and herders wished to rehabilitate. The
letter has also been sent to Court but declined repeatedly. In 2019, 251 herder families from
PUGs and Soum Association of PUGs have sent a petition to the Ministry of Environment,
Central Government and Standing committee of the Parliament with the copy of the RUAs
signed by herders and local government, and finally managed to get the resolution issued to
stop illegal mining in June 2019.
All together in the past 5 years, with the support from GG AHP, MNPUGs has organized 265
trainings on various urgent and important topics of sustainable rangeland management and
has increasiongly being recognized by the government and international donors as one of
the leading training and capacity development organization in rangeland management
issues. These trainings have reached 27870 people 77% of which are herders out of which
40% were women. 1934 civil servants have participated in the training out of which 859 or
41 per cent which were women. Compared to 2018, due to measures taken to provide
opportunity for women to take part in the trainings it has increased by 10% from previous
year. Usually women tend to stay home to take care of household work. The initiative to
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
RUAestablished,byaimags
2017 2018 2019

18. 18
combine training with medical check up, cultural events and sports event has been very
effective.
In 2019, MNPUGs has enriched its training manuals and guideline by 9. These training
manuals and gudelines are developed for PUG, APUG and Aimag Federation leaders, local
specialists as a trainer and to support their training events. These include:
1. Comic book on how to form and manage PUGs
2. Comic book on the importance of establishing Rangeland use agreement
3. Live raw material traceability system
4. Rangeland management guideline
5. Rangeland health assessment and using it in local rangeland management planning
and enforcement
6. Good practices of improving raw material preparation
7. Good practices of developing local value chains of livestock products
8. Cooperative management and internal governance
9. Good practices of grazing mananagement by PUGs and herders
Picture 4: New training manuals incorporating best practices
Pasture user group
Comic book 1
Rangeland use agreement
Comic book 2
Livestock raw material
traceability system
Rangeland management regulation Rangeland health assessment and monitoring
Cooperative best practices Raw material preparation: Best practices

19. 19
Output 1.3 Support establishment and management of RUA database
Indicator 1 Database in ALMGC exists and is updated regularly
Indicator 1: Database in ALMGC exists and is up dated regularly
Since GG AHP has initiated the registration of PUG’s grazing lands in the national land
database using RUAs. As of December 2019, 455 PUG RUAs have been registered. For the
preparatory work, MMPUGs has facilitated completion of missing information and data for
300 PUG RUAs signed in earlier years and integrated requests of herder families wanted to
change their membership to another PUGs because of changing movement routes. Grazing
boundary coordinates of 1415 PUGs have been converted into electronic map and their RUA
annexes have been verified. During registration of RUAs it has been exposed that many
herder families live in the soum without registration after they moved in for the search of better
rangelands. MNPUGs has provided necessary technical support to these herder families in
the process of registration while negotiating with ALAMGC required materials and
documents. Since 2018, after rangeland health monitoring system is updated, PUG RUAs
have been added with new information: annual rangeland heath photomonitoring information,
current rangeland health status, coordinates of grazing boundaries of rangelands, signature
of husbands and wives, references of ecological capacity of rangelands to monitor the
changes over the years.
On the other hand, MNPUGs with the support of GG AHP and ALAMGC carry out training for
soum land managers on the preparation of PUG RUA for registration. Soum land managers
have a crucial role to play in the sustainability of the initaitve besides Soum and Aimag
Federation of APUGs. In 2019, from old GG AHP aimags 325 RUAs were registered and
from new aimags 51 RUAs were registered. Bayanhongor, Gobi-Altai, Dornod, South Gobi,
Uvurkhangai and Tuv aimags have registered more than 80% of established RUAs.
In order to ensure the sustainability of registration of PUG RUAs, the national land
management software has been updated with information on rangeland health monitoring
results:
• Visualization of location of PUG grazing boundaries and ecological carrying capacity
mapping
• Classification of photomonitoring results by recovery classes.
• Downloading of electronic version of the manuals
• Exporting of processed information in excel format for printing
• Update of the rangeland recovery classes with State
• Transition models identified in the National Rangeland Health Assessment report
2018:
✓ Ecological capacity maps
✓ Formula to calculate recovery classes in the dot maps
✓ Recovery classes by ecological regions and etc.,
These changes and updates will make it easier to identify which seasonal grazing lands of
PUGs are degraded and provide uptodate information on which state of recovery classes the
specific rangelands are according to which grazing density, stocking rate and rotational
grazing is managed. New design of national land management database includes
explanation of key rangeland indicator species which makes it easier for soum land managers
to identify the recovery classes.

20. 20
Picture 5. Rangeland health dot up with new additional information
Main working manuals for soum land managers are made available online on MNPUGs
website www.greenmongolia.mn such as “State Transition models of Mongolian
Rangelands”, “How to carry out photomonitoring”, “How to do rangeland recovery class
mapping” as well as manual for “Sample point” software to assess annual rangeland carrying
capacity based on rangeland health photo monitoring results.
In order to ensure soum land managers gain access to updated training modul, GG AHP has
supported ALAMGC and MULS with establishment of training laboratory. The laboratory is
managed by Rangeland management division of the School of Agro biology of the MULS. In
2019, 50 land managers from Sukhbaatar, Hovd and Bayan-Olgy aimags were provided two
rounds of training on how to prepare PUG RUA for registration in national database and
electronic mapping of the PUG grazing boundaries. Following this training, soum land
managers have updated grazing boundaries of 107 PUGs in consultation with herders and
able to complete all necessary documents of 128 PUG RUAs to get registered in the national
land management database.
Picture 6. Soum land managers attending training in the laboratory at the MULS.
7One of the main challenges for most soum land managers is interpretation of rangeland
species when identifying recovery classes and processing photo monitoring results.
Therefore, based on the reports submitted to the ALAMGC, targeted training was carried out
to soum land managers of Bayanhongor, Dundgobi, Uvurkhangai, Selenge, Dornod,
Darkhan-Uul, Huvsgul, Tuvd, Arkhangai, Dorno- gobi, South gobi and Zavkhan aimags.
Because, soum land managers while at the University are not taught this skill. This issue has
been repeatedly exposed to relevant agencies by the GG AHP that soums land managers
require this specific skill, and it needs to be addressed at the Bachelor training. In 2019
13 aimag land management specialists and 212 soum land managers have been trained in
the second round of training and out of 225 trainees attended 141 were women. Trainees
were taught the skill to work on Sample point software and identify key rangeland species.
With improved skills of data processing and interpretation of rangeland health monitoring,
quality of reports from soum land manager is improving.
The National rangeland reference database has data of 8 consecutive years. In order to
ensure the sustainability of maintaining database at the at the National Agency of
Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring, GG AHP has been supporting to further develop
the skills of environmental engineers and technicians in continues improvement of the quality

21. 21
and products delivered to various decision making for national stakeholders. GG AHP has
been facilitating consultancy services from USA Jornado research center USA for NAMEM
on the basis of bileterial cooperation agreement.
In 2019, in cooperation with GG AHP, NAMEM has updated 1:1000000 ecological reference
dot map with raster map for the aimag beginning from with eastern region. This will help to
improve the accuracy of montitoring spots to represent ecological diversity of rangelands and
quality of data processing of long-term ecological changes of rangeland health.
Picture 6. Rangeland health dot map convered into raster map (vegetation map).
As of December 2019, NAMEM with the support from GG AHP has released two national
rangeland health reports in 2015 and 2018. The report summarizes the changes of rangeland
health in every 3 years and level of degradation and recovery classes nationally. The report
released in 2018 has shown that overall national rangeland health has improved from the
baseline level of degradation 65% in 2015 to 57% in 2018. Researchers attribute this
improvement to high recovery level of Mongolian rangelands responding in a short period to
better grazing management and commitment of herders to improve management of stocking
density. National rangeland health report findings were reflectd in the report released by the
Ministry of Environment every two years “Mongolian environmental report 2017-2018”
(http://www.mne.mn/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Tuluv-Baidal-Tailan-2017-
2018_2_compressed.pdf).
During National Rangeland Forum III, Hovd aimag department of NAMEM has released
rangeland health data specific for Hovd aimag based on the findings of National Rangeland
health assessment. According to Aimag department of ALAMGC and Government officials
this data has been used as the basis to develop Rangeland policy and improve coordination
of different environmental programs and monitor their implementation at the grassroots level
of herders and soums. Rangeland health trend findings released by soum technicians and
integrated at the aimag level are used for various decision making for the government to
allocate budget and manage stocking density.
With the support provided from GG AHP Reserve rangeland administration of MoFALI has
up scaled grazing impact monitoring system created at the ALAMGC, ecological capacity
reference data base to monitor changes, control herder household and number of anmals
using the reserve rangelands annually. This has enabled Reserve rangeland administration
to estimate carrying capacity based on real time and accurate data and inform in prior to the
Government how many animals the areas can accomodiate for autumn and winter in case of
difficult time.

22. 22
Picture 7. Reserve rangeland administration database is linked into dataebase
at the ALAMGC and NAMEM
Reserve rangeland administration has developed mid term Action plan to rehabilitate
degraded reserve areas and implement preventive measures based on database and RUAs
established with herders. At the aimag level, coordination meetings have been facilitated by
Aimag Federation of APUGs with key stakeholders at the soum and aimag level to reflect
their feedback on the Action plan implementation and budget.
Picture 8. Aimag federation of APUGs organizing feedback session on reservre rangelands.
From these coordination meetings several Reserve rangelands have been freed from
livestock grazing during critical vegetation period, monthly monitoring was implemented by
local authority to move out herder families moved in without permission. Soum governors
have issued a resolution to impose fee on those herder families refused to free the reserve
rangelands. Reserve rangeland administration has issued a special regulation on the
cleaning of Reserve rangelands from animal remains involving all local stakeholders, soum
governments, animal health units as well as herders have wintered in the area.

23. 23
Picture 9. Herders burying animal remains in the reserve rangelands
Apart from resting, Reserve rangeland administration has invested in improving
productivity of Reserve rangelands while creating hay making areas inside the Reserve
rangeland area and planting forage to reduce pressure on stocking density. For example,
Shar Tolgoi reserve rangeland management unit has planted forage and harvested 68 tons
which was sold to herders, the income of which is used to buy seed and soil processing for
the next year.
Picture 10. Hay making in Reserve rangelands to reduce stocking density
In addition, Reserve rangeland administration has adopted registration of herder families
using reserve areas and provide information upon arrival on grazing management and
animal health regulitons and let in only those families who fulfilled requirements. Previosly,
there was no regulation making it difficult for local Reserve rangeland local units to ensure
proper use of the rangelands.
Picture 11. Herders are informed about regulations to follow in Reserve rangeland area

24. 24
Output 1.4 Support institutional capacity development of the PUG system
Indicator 1 Degree of independence of PUGs from SDC support
Indicator 2 Share of women leaders in the PUG system and cooperative leadership
Indicator 1: Degree of independence of PUGs from SDC support
MNPUGs since establishment in 2015, has increasingly gaining recognition among national
and international stakeholders as a collective organization of herders and provides
professional services and information on rangeland management issues of Mongolia.
PUG leaders play an important role at the grassroots level to ensure sustainability of many
of GG AHP initiatives. Thus since 2018, GG AHP MNPUGs has developed special training
and capacity development activities for PUG leaders such as skills for leadership, lobbying
to gain operational and financial support from local government, writing projects to access to
LDFs and monitoring and reporting skills. PUG leaders are members of Steering committee
of many marketing cooperatives and SCCs and MNPUGs encourage their participation in the
management of Soum and Aimag Federation of PUGs. In 2019, MNPUGs has spent 19.2
Million MNT as remuneration and on training activities for best 64 APUG leaders and 45 PUG
leaders of 68 soum of 13 aimags. 35 Soum APUGs have been provided basic training
equipment in 2019 (printer and laptop computers).
Picture 12. MNPUGs providing working equipment to PUG Leaders
MNPUGs encourage experienced PUG and APUG leaders to work as local trainers and
organize peer to peer learning between old advanced PUGs, APUGs and Soums and new
PUGs, APUGs and Soum. This has been very effective in up scaling good practices of aimags
where GG AHP has worked the longest. For instance in 2019, in Arkhangai aimag, during
yak festival, 35 APUG Leaders from 7 new aimags participated in the demo trainings on PUG
operation, cooperative leadership, rangeland management and forage planting as well as
match making events between wool and cashmere processing companies and PUGs and
cooperatives.

25. 25
Picture 13. Training of PUG and APUG Leaders during Yak Festival in Arkhangai aimag
GG AHP has been using a tool of small investment projects to support PUG and APUG
leaders’ initiatives to identify prioriy needs among their communities and raise funding within
their own means. In 2019, small project selection has been organized in a competitive
manner among target soums and 135 small action projects addressing various priority needs
of herders, PUGs and cooperatives such as improving internal governance of cooperatives,
rangeland management, improving animal breeding services, local product development to
increase income of herders and improving quality and value of livestock products and market
access have been supported. 28 business projects have been co financed with the condition
to pay back to the Community Development Fund created at the Mongolian National PUG
Federation to increase number of beneficiaries (56 250 000 MNT). 48% of projects were
initiated and implemented by PUGs, 32% by Soum Assocation of PUGs, and 20% by Aimag
Federation of APUGs. 80% of the investment was addressing shortage of forage and hay in
winter and adopting high quality breeding animals to reduce number of livestock. With
enactment of Animal Genetics Law, APUGs and cooperatives may run breeding services to
herders after being certified by the Government agency on Animal Genetics Pool. Starting
from mid 2018, as of December 4 APUGs and 5 cooperativs have been certified to provide
breeding services to herders. All together APUGs and cooperatives have created a nuclear
breeding herd of 1500 animals, sheep, goat and cattle.
Some examples of best practices:
Soum Association of PUGs in Orhontuul
soum of Selenge aimag has implemented
“Forage planting” project borrowing
4.2 million MNT with the condition to pay back
to Fund and contribution of 0.6 million MNT
from its own. Forage and hay harvested were
sold below the market price to herders who
has contributed to the project by cash and
labor. Herder Mr Batsaikhan of Arvidah PUG
state that last year was very cold winter
however herders have overcome as they
were all well prepared. This year my family has prepared 300 bales of hay for winter and
obtained it from the project 20% lower price than the market price. Herder Mr Ganchuluun
of Tsagaantohoi PUG has stated that his family were able to borrow 200 bales of hay and 10
bags of forage from Soum APUGs and pay it later from cashmere sales income in June. We
often face cash shortages specially during winter season. This help from Soum APUGs is
very much appreciated, and it was very good quality hay we used to feed baby animals in
early spring.

26. 26
MNPUGs and Aimag Federation of APUGS has been playing an instrumental role in the
promotion and adoption of Aimag Rangeland Management regulaitons. For example, a close
cooperation of the Zavkhan Aimag Federation of APUGs and Aimag RMWG has resulted in
the creation of supportive policy and legal environment to ensure sustainability and up scaling
of rangeland management best practices and animal health traceability with co funding
arrangement from local budget and LDF. Consistent lobbying and promotion of Aimag
Federation of PUGs the importance of introducing animal health traceability to improve
market access for herders has resulted in the decision of Aimag Governor to include into his
Action Plan for 2019 and spend 105 million MNT to up scale animal health traceability from
GG AHP pilot soums into additional 5 soums of the Aimag. Zavkhan aimag Rangeland
regulation was acknowledged and registered by the Ministry of Justice to enforce. They have
succefully met all the requirements of registration by the Ministry of Justice has been a good
example for other aimags. In 2019, Soum rangeland regulation has been introduced into 5
additional soums in Zavkhan aimag, and Rangeland Risk Funds were created in 3 soums
with the co funding of 60.4 Million MNT from 1028 herder families.
In 2019, SDC has mandated organizational capacity assessment on MNPUGs to assess the
progress of organizational capacity development of the Mongolian National Federation of
PUGs in the view of its future development vision, and facilitate development of road map
and pertinent Plan of activities to its achieve organizational capacity objectives in consultation
with its members: representatives of herders, PUGs, Soum and Aimag Federation of PUGs,
Steering and Advisory Board members, Executive Team, SDC and Green Gold Animal
Health Project Team.
Picture 14. Members of MNPUGs during assessment exercise
Through participatory self assessment, members and stakeholders of rangeland
management sector of Mongolia have taken part in the assessment. Experts provided
findings and provided recommendations on following areas:
• Management and its structure
• Human resource management
• Financial sustainability
• Membership and services
• Marketing
• Policy and legal environment
MNPUGs develops Plan of activities annually following up the recommendations from the
Assessment to achieve sustainable operation. In 2019, MNPUGs has undergone the
assessment from the Training Agency of the Ministry of Labor and Social welfare and

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passed all requirements to carry out training activities. It was
issued official certificate to conduct community development
training and capacity development professional services.
MNPUGs has participated in several tenders announced by
donor organizations in Mongolia. In 2018, it has been
contracted by IFAD to implement rangeland part of the Market
and Livestock development project, in 2019 contracted from
EU project on Sustainable livestock production project.
These are main projects mandated from partners besides
SDC GG AHP.
Table 5. International projects implemented by MNPUGs
№ Project Action lines Partners Term Location
1 Green
pasture
Soft loan project to link
financial incentives
sustainable rangeland and
herd management practices
Khas
Bank
2019-2020 Chandmana soum
of Hovd aimag
2 “SWITCH” Cashmere supply chain
devepment
EU 2019-2022 12 soums of
Arkhangai,
Bayanhongor
Gobi Altai aimags
3 Marketing
and
Rangeland
management
Promoting collective
rangeland management and
cooperative development
IFAD 2018-2021 18 soums of
Arkhangai,
Uvurhangai, Dund
gobi, Dornod
Sukhbaatar and
Henty aimags
4 Pastoral
community
database
development
Creation of comprehensive
database on herder
community in Mongolia for
better decision making
addressing their needs
FAO 2018-2019 All aimags and
soums
Since November 2019, MNPUGs has been
implementing “Pastorlists information hub” project
from FAO collecting social and economic information
of 114 757 herder families from 18 aimags using
APUG and PUGs network. This project covers three
countries Mongolia, Chada and Argentina. During
mid term review of the project held in Rome, Italy at
the FAO headquarter between 17-20 November,
Mongolian project implemented by MNPUGs has
received a high recognition and seen as the best implemented among three counterparts in
three countries. Creation of database on Mongolian nomadic herders has created awareness
about the challenges they are facing and network with similar organizations and counterparts
in the world. In 2019, MNPUGs has been invited to take part in the community development
conference organized by the International Land Coalition to share experiences of herders
PUGs and RUA and government rangeland health monitoring system.
The National Rangeland Forum initiated by GG AHP in 2017 and continued by MNPUGs.
The Forum for 2019 has been organized third time in Hovd aimag. The Forum aims to create
a platform where different stakeholders come together to discuss challenges, lessons learned
and best practices in rangeland management in Mongolia. The National Rangeland Forum

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in Hovd was attended by 500 representatives of herders, researchers, rangeland
management experts, government specialsists and private sector stakeholders. Third Forum
has focused on enabling herders (men and women) to share experiences as well as local
government specialists. The main topics of the Third Forum were Livestock Raw Material
Traceability system, PUGs system growing as a civil society institution of herders, “Green
Pasture” soft loan project to use financial incentives to encourage herders to adopt
sustainable rangeland and herd management practices. Competion has been organized at
the initiative of soum rangeland managers to promote among young herders the knowledge
to identify rangeland health by indicator patatable species. Young herders have participated
reported back that identification of the palatable species have not been easy and some even
didn’t recognize as the species have become so rare.
Picture 15. Participants of National Rangeland Forum III in Hovd aimag 2019.
The Forum enables herders and local stakeholder to expose their practices through poster
session in order to encourage and share local knowledge and peer to peer learning.
Recommendations of the Forum was published in public newspaper and sent to Prime
Minister. The main content was about improving legal environment and improving market
access of herders to address over stocking issue.
At the request of Standing Committee for Environment and Rural Development GG AHP,
Mongolian National PUG Federation has participated in the organization of National herders’
consultation meeting with participation 2 herders (men and women) from all 360 soums on
the urgency of improving legal environment of rangeland management. The consultation
meeting was attended by Speaker of the Parliament of Mongolia, Parlaiment members
elected from countryside, representatives of President’s office and representatives of Aimag
and Soum Citizens Meeting and Aimag and Soum Government offices. MNPUGs organized
a survery among 110 herders participated in the National consultation meeting on their
opinion on the current state of rangeland management and 70% have expressed the need
for improving current legal environment to use common rangelands among herders, how to
better regulate the access to manage over grazing and over stocking better to address
increasing rangealdn degradation issue. Herders have provided specific suggestions on how
to impose grazing fee in order to reduce animal number increase, to change current award
criteria for best herders from how much animals herders have to producticvity per head,
rangeland and animal health management issue, adopting Rangeland law to address free
riding and irresponsible use of rangelands, specific recommendations were provided on
protecting traditional user rights of herder families and addressing negative impacts of
irresponsible mining on surrounding environment. Recommendation out of the national
consultation meeting was handed over to the Speaker of the Parliament and Minister of
Agriculture.
One of the legacies GG AHP aims to leave behind is to ensure participation of women in
activities organized by all its partners and take actions for women to take part. MNPUGs
activities always have gender sensitive approach. Women in herder households play an
important role in everyday decision making in rangeland and herd management issues.
Training is organized to ensure participation of herder women. In 2015, GG AHP carried out
gender survey among herder households to identify best options to involve women in herder
households in training and capacity development activities supported by the project. Based

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on the findings of the survey leadership training was organized for women to encourage their
participation in leadership positions in the PUGs, APUGs and cooperatives.
In 2019, number of women in leadership
of PUGs, APUGs and Aimag
Federations and cooperatives has
increased by 61. As of December 2019,
there are 214 women PUG leaders, 44
women leaders of Soum Associations
of PUGs and 7 leaders of Aimag
Federations of APUGs. Out of total 1768
people working on leadership positions
of PUGs, APUGs, Aimag Federations
and cooperatives, 437 or 25% percent are women. This is 2.5% increase from previous year.
With the support of GG AHP, MNPUGs implements every year special small action projects
for women. In 2019, small action projects focused on product development of hand made
products by women from livestock raw materials while improving their design and market
access. MNPUGs has invested 41 million MNT and women contributed 25 million MNT.
At the request of women, a special fund created at the Aimag Federations of APUGs from
which women borrow without interest rate to co finance projects and pay it back so that more
women can benefit.
Table 6. Projects implemented by women herders.
№ Project name Loan Repayment
1 Mongolian felt, knitwear product production Uran Samba
project from Dundgovi aimag, Delgerkhangai soum
5,000,000 5,000,000
2 National costume production and sewing project from Tuv
aimag Bornuur soum
2,000,000
3 Camel crochet, Mongolian ger mat, embroidered bag,
accessory bag production project from Tuv aimag Bayan-Unjuul
soum
2,000,000
4 Work shoes production and sewing project for soum citizens,
Dornod aimag Bayantumen soum
2,000,000 1,650,000
5 Felt product and slippers production project from Dornod aimag
Bayantumen soum
2,000,000 2,000,000
6 Wool slippers, crochet and other felt product making project
from Dornod aimag Bayan-Uul soum
2,000,000 2,000,000
7 Horse saddle and other felt product crafting project from Dornod
aimag Bayan-Uul soum
2,000,000 1,500,000
8 Jam making and production project from Dornod aimag Bayan-
uul soum
2,000,000 2,000,000
9 Environmentally friendly cotton bag production project from
Dornod aimag Bayan-Uul soum
2,000,000 1,500,000
10 Felt boot production project from Zavkhan aimag, Asgat soum 5,000,000
11 Sleeping bag production project from Zavkhan aimag, Toonot
Tsatsrag secondary cooperative
5,000,000
12 Wool blanket production project from Zavkhan aimag Toonot
Tsatsrag secondary cooperative
5,000,000
13 Buriad boot production project from Zavkhan aimag, Tsetsen-
Uul soum
5,000,000
Total 41,000,000 25,150,000
75% 25%

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Some best practices:
Women herders of Argalant soum of Zavkhan aimag has set up a small workshop to produce
feld boots always in demand in the region borrowing 5 million MNT from the Fund and co
financing 5.7 million MNT from their own sources. With 5 million MNT, women bought sheep
wool, hand de hairing machine and show former. They produce felt boots for kids and create
job for 6 women. The shoes are well sold and always in demand in autumn and winter.
Herder women of Bayan-uul soum of
Dornod aimag has implemented a business
project to sow cotton shopping bag. With
the borrowed money combined with their
own financial resource they had bought
sowing machine. The cotton bag they sell
locally and 5 different types of bags they
developed are well liked by consumers.
Now 60-70% of soum population use cotton
bags and avoid plastic bags. Soum
Governor has issued a resolution to ban
plastic bags to reduce waste and also to support business of the women.
In 2019, MNPUGs has co financed 11 projects with 6.1 million MNT submitted by women
herders on competitive basis to make manual forage using locally available raw materials.
Herders used to make nutricious manual forage for baby animal and new borns in spring.
These projects aiming to promote this good practice. It was documented and shared on social
media.
Findings:
• In GG AHP target soums resting and rotational grazing is very much accepted and
implemented by herders. With better planning and clearer grazing boundaries
established by PUGs and RUAs resting of winter and spring rangelands is well pursued.
Yet, for summer and autumn rangeland is challenging as there are too many animals

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and no space. According to GG AHP experience and national rangeland health
assessment findings, summer and autumn rangelands are worst degraded. However, in
the current land legislation, summer and autumn rangelands are to be used with open
access regime. Therefore, GG AHP encourage Soum and Aimag Rangeland regulations
to have specific articles on the management of summer and autumn rangelands.
• Capacity of relevant stakeholders in the new 11 aimags specially in 7 aimags where GG
AHP and MNPUGs have started in 2017/2018 is still weak.
• With extra engagement and focused actions, half of PUGs established RUAs have been
registered in the ALAMGC national land management database. Previously herders
traditional grazing lands weren’t recorded In Mongolia, thus it is the important step
towards documenting their user rights. In order to ensure sustainability, GG AHP aims
to push registration to reach a critical mass while registering 900 RUAs by the end of the
project out of total 1509 PUG RUAs. For sustainability, GG AHP aims as well ALAMCG
to develop and approve methodology for PURs RUA, and its registration including
formally in the JDs of soum land managers and in the annual performance agreement
with Aimag department of ALAMG in 2020.
• Annual update of rangeland health monitoring and the possibility to compare it with
previous year makes soum land manager workload more efficient to monitor the
implementation of RUAs. The most time consuming and difficult task is to fix the
coordinates of PUGs grazing boundaries and facilitate consensus among herders.
Majority of soum land managers lack skills to work on GIS. Up to now GG AHP has been
providing financial support to hire and send GIS expert from Ulaanbaatar to soums.
GG AHP has notified to ALAMGC management to develop training modul for soum land
managers on GIS skills.
• Web based and dynamic stocking density management program integrating previous
experiences and good practices from GG AHP on annual carrying capacity estimation of
rangelands specific per each ecological regions, herd composion and income of herders
which has eventually led to develop standards and norms have been appreciated as a
timely and useful tool for soum experts to plan and make informed decision for grazing
and herd management. However, capacity and skills development at the soum level
require longer term consistent engagement. In the context of Mongolia with vast territory
yet well functioning local government this digital infrastructure proves to have potential.
• Herders address stocking rate reduction issue not only by selling more livestock but also
controlling breeding. In connection with this trend, there is an increasing demand from
herders to for professional assistance in terms of how to manage stocking rate via
breeding.
• In the soums with advanced PUG RUA enforcement, herders are very much aware of
over stocking consequences and willing to sell livestock as per the plan. Yet because of
limited marketing opportunities and access to markets except selling in the local market
in a few numbers or to barter to middlemen, they couldn’t sell as much as they wish.
• SDC Audit on partners have been delayed as selection process happened in May and
audit continued till July. This has led to postpone implementation of project activities
even to cancel some seasonal activities. This delay has creared enormious work
pressure on GG AHP and counterpart staff members in partner organizations in the
second half of the year.

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Outcome 2: Income of HH is increased through collective market access and improved
quality of livestock products (veterinary services)
Output 2.1 Facilitated linkages between PUGs led cooperatives and processors
Output 2.2 Enhanced capacities of PUG based cooperatives
Output 2.3 Improved product quality of selected livestock products
Output 2.4 Improved access to veterinary services in selected aimags
Indicator 1: Income generated by cooperatives
The Green Gold initiative in early 2010s to facilitate match making events between
cooperatives and buyers now have been handed over and continued by the National
Federation of APUGs, Mongolian Cashmere and Wool Association, and Mongolian
Association of Leather Industry. It has become a regular event before harversing season
starts. 2019 it was attended by 50 herder cooperatives and 70 procesisng companies. Over
the years, relationship and trust built between PUGs, cooperatives and processing
companies and other buyers are leading to establish long term cooperation and supply
contracts. Mongolian National PUG Federation often facilitate quality inspection staff member
and engineers of the processing plants to take part in raw material quality improvement
training for herders. During 2019 match making events, 800 tons of cashmere, 65 tons of
combed yak wool, 8 tons of baby camel wool, 33.2 tons of adult camel wool, 999.1 tons of
sheep wool supply contracts were made. This best practice set in cashmere and wool sector
has been shared with Mongolinal Association of Leather Industry, Mongolian Milk Assocation
and Mongolian Meat Association. More companies prefer to purchase from organized herder
groups and cooperatives to save transaction cost. In 2019, PUGs and cooperatives have sold
140 528 heads of livestock, 10 tons of milk and 13365 pieces of skins and hides and earned
17.7 billion MNT through supply contracts established with processing plants and buyers.
Table 7 Cooperative sales volume and income
№ Product types Measuring units Amount Sales income 000’ MNT
1 Large animals Heads 2911 1,990,500,0
2 Cashmere Tons 28.039 3,546,401.0
3 Yak wool Tons 64.6 1,201,897.0
4 Baby camel wool Tons 2 16,000.0
5 Camel wool Tons 30.2 161,835.0
6 Sheep wool Tons 999.19 1,007,642.0
7 Sheep and Goats Heads 137615 9,241,061.0
8 Milk Tons 303.7 242,587.0
9 Others 311,740.0
Нийт 22527.17 17,719,663.0
Compared to last year, cooperatives’ total income has increased by 7.0 billion MNT and this
extra income is mainly due to caution of herders from difficult winter which has led to sell
more livestock in the market. Compared to total earning in 2017 cooperatives’ total sales
income has increased by 12.3 billion MNT.
Table 8. Cooperative income by aimags and by past three years.
№ Aimags 2017 2018 2019 Increase
17/2019)
1 Arkhangai 369 1,225 3,068 2,699
2 Bayanhongor 171 536 2,092 1,921
3 Bayan-Olgy 1,497 985 240 (1,257)
4 Gobi-Altai 185 391 725 540

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5 Zavhan 1,539 3,047 1,360 (179)
6 Uvs 39 291 2,031 1,991
7 Hovds 1,013 3,411 6,084 5,071
8 Huvsgul 17 710 1,177 1,160
9 South Gobi 226 - - (226)
10 Uvurhangai 105 81 126 21
11 Dornogobi - 20 -
12 Tuv - 60 575 575
Total 5,160 10,756 17,477 12,316
In order to improve negotiation power in the domestic market and access to international
market, PUG Cooperatives have created Secondary cooperative in UIaanbaatar. Secondary
cooperative has taken over tasks from GG AHP to link PUGs and herders’ cooperatives with
buyers. For instance, Mongolia produces 9000 tons of cashmere, yet local processing plants
have the capacity to process about 2000 tons. Thus, secondary cooperative in order to
expands the market access testing on new opportunity to get cashmere de haired and sell to
international buyers. In 2019, the secondary cooperative has secured 6 long term contracts
with domestic buyers, and 2 international buyers. Its sales income has increased by 21%
from last year. It has sold 0.8 tons of de haired yak wool, 0.1 tons of camel wool yarn and 0.1
tons of sheep wool yarn to buyers in UK and Nepal.
Secondary cooperative reduces logictics cost of primary cooperatives at the soum level and
increase supply volume thus leveraging negotiation power. Processing plants and buyers
tend to offer higher margin as they can benefit from reduced transaction cost, In the domestic
market secondary cooperative has facilitated sales of 50000 heads of livestock to Makh
Market company, 500 tons of sheep wool to Erdenet carpet and 41 tons of yak wool to
Bayalag-Ulzaa and Sor cashmere Co LTDs. Secondary cooperative in the future looking for
options to add value at the soum level while engaging in primary processing. Because of
smaller quantity available and higher market demand, yak wool and baby camel wool primary
processing (washing and de hairing) could be done at the soum level reducing transportation
cost and creating part time job places.
Secondary cooperative is continuing the initiatives of GG AHP to provide training on capacity
development of existing cooperatives and guidance to those PUGs and herders wish to set
up cooperatives. It has fully taken over the initiative to train herders to comb yak wool and
baby camel wool and facilitate access to standard combs and bags. In 2006 Green Gold
Project has introduced combing technology in harversing yak wool to improve quality and
volume. In those years, herders used to harvest about 1 tons of yak wool and price was 500
MNT per kg. In 2019, this initiative has expanded to the level where herders from 5 aimags
produce 70 tons of combed yak wool and selling in the market for 25000MNT per kg. Baby
camel combing was first introduced in 2015. Now in 2019, herders from 3 aimags produce
12 tons of combed baby camel wool and sell for 12000MNT per kg. Demand for both raw
materials is always high in the market and PUGs and cooperatives directly sell to processing
plants without involvement of middlemen.
To improve the competitiveness and unique selling points of Mongolian livestock products on
the international market, GG AHP identified the need to setup a traceability and market
platform system with an innovative and user-friendly digital technology that allows for
validation and increasing accessibility of sustainably sourced products since 2017. In
cooperation with key partners, GG AHP has been developing the “Responsible Nomads”
Livestock Raw material traceability system which consists of six categories:
1. Responsibility of herders
2. Maintaining and improving rangeland health
3. Animal health services
4. Animal welfare
5. Environmental stewardship

34. 34
Picture 16. Responsible Nomads raw material traceability system.
1. Responsibility of herders
Herders taking responsibility for sustainable management of their rangelands and quality of
raw materials is the foundation of the Responsible Nomads code of practices. For responsible
rangeland management, herders join Pasture User Groups that establish Rangeland Use
Agreements with the local government. In order to ensure reliable supply and good quality of
livestock raw materials to retailers and consumers, herders establish cooperatives.
1.1 Pasture User Group Membership
Based on long standing traditional arrangements that a group of herder families share access
to the same four- season rangelands, Pasture User Groups (PUGs) are formed. These
groups guarantee responsible management of shared seasonal rangelands through
collective planning and enforcement of rotational grazing schedules between seasonal
rangelands to adjust grazing pressure and stock density.
Evaluation criteria Source of verification:
✓ Keep the livestock within grazing
boundaries agreed upon by
members and neighbors
✓ Develop and enforce seasonal
grazing plans and schedules
✓ Take part and follow joint
regulations to enforce
grazing/movement plans and
schedules
✓ Take part in community-based
monitoring to ensure members’
compliance of the joint regulation
Registered in the Land management
database at the Agency of Land Affairs
Geodesy and Cartography and Mongolian
National Federation of PUGs with following
information:
✓ Aimag
✓ Soum
✓ PUG name Story platforms: Hand-
made PUG Grazing map and plans
✓ Total rangeland area
✓ Members (man and wife)
✓ Number of livestock
✓ PUG regulation
1.2 Established Rangeland Use Agreement
Provided that herders are members of PUGs and have adopted common grazing/movement
plans and internal regulations, a long-term Rangeland Use Agreement is established with
local government.

35. 35
Evaluation criteria Source of verification:
✓ Member of the PUG
✓ Adopted common
grazing/movement plan
✓ Adopted internal regulations
✓ A long-term Rangeland Use
Agreement is established with local
government.
Registered in the Land management
database at the Agency of Land Affairs
Geodesy and Cartography and Mongolian
National Federation of PUGs with following
information:
✓ Date of RUA establishment
✓ Coordinates of four seasonal
rangelands
✓ Stocking rate per each of the
seasonal rangelands (story platform
photo)
✓ Winter, spring, summer and autumn
camps
2. Cooperative Membership
To ensure reliable supply and quality of raw materials from herder families, cooperatives are
established to manage the sale of raw materials on their behalf. Cooperatives negotiate a
contract and organize a supply order with buyers, accounting for the quality and volume of
raw materials required by the buyers. The Responsible Nomads traceability system allows
the cooperatives to present data and information regarding the quality of the materials,
including the environmental impact and sustainability. These cooperatives then facilitate the
supply from herder members as per requirements in the contracts.
Evaluation criteria Source of verification:
✓ Quality of the raw materials
✓ Amount supplied
Recorded in the cooperative and raw
material database at the Mongolian National
Federation of PUGs:
✓ Name of the cooperative
✓ Raw materials produce by quality
and volume:
- Cashmere
- Adult yak wool
- Baby yak wool
- Camel wool
- Baby camel wool
- Skins/hides
- Sheep wool
Meat
2.1 Maintaining and improving rangeland health
In the rangeland-based nomadic herding sector of Mongolia, 90 percent of animal feed is
sourced from natural rangelands. Thus, maintaining healthy and productive rangelands is
essential to ensure enough forage intake for the livestock. Rangeland health is monitored by
two sets of indicators: rangeland recovery classes and grazing impact monitoring.
2.2 Healthy natural rangelands
When PUGs establish Rangeland Use Agreements with local government, the baseline of
rangeland health is defined using rangeland recovery classes. There are five recovery
classes identified for all Mongolian rangelands that show the level of degradation compared
to its ecological potential and natural regeneration capacity. Through Rangeland Use

36. 36
Agreements, PUGs agree to not degrade rangelands further from the baseline defined in the
year it was signed between PUGs and local government.
Evaluation criteria Source of verification:
I The plant community is at or near
reference conditions (not degraded), no
action required, maintain current
management
II The plant community is altered and
may be rapidly recovered (one to several
growing seasons) with favorable climatic
conditions and/or a change in management
(e.g., seasonal deferment, rotation).
III The plant community is altered and
may take several years to over a decade to
recover with changed management
(seasonal deferment and long-term rest).
Alteration represents a significant loss of
important ecosystem services, but recovery
is possible in time.
IV The plant community is altered due
to the loss of key species, invasion of
noxious plant species that is unlikely to be
recovered for well over decade, if ever,
without intensive interventions such as
species removal, seeding, or other
manipulations.
V The plant community is altered due
to extensive soil loss, accelerated erosion
rates, or salinization. Previous ecosystem
services have been lost and it is impractical
to recover them.
National Rangeland health database
functions at the National Agency of
Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring
covers 1550 plots.
2.2 Grazing impact monitoring
Fulfillment of the agreement through RUAs to prevent further degradation of rangelands from
the baseline is monitored annually by rangeland health photo monitoring with three indicators:
percentage of palatable species, basal cover, and land productivity. These indicators were
chosen to measure the impact of livestock grazing. Soum land managers work in cooperation
with PUG leaders and herder members to conduct photo monitoring in seasonal rangelands
during first three weeks of August each year. This is processed with sophisticated software
and recorded in the soum, aimag and national databases.
Evaluation criteria Source of verification:
Dynamics of following three indicators
1. Percentage of palatable species
2. Total cover
3. Productivity
✓ Annual photo monitoring spots
stationed at each of four seasonal
rangelands of PUGs
✓ National grazing impact monitoring
database at the Agency of Land
Affairs Geodesy and Cartography
with following information:

37. 37
3. Animal health services
In order to ensure animals are provided with proper animal health services, herders establish
contracts with local veterinary service units monitored by the General State Veterinary
Authority. All periodic veterinary services provided to the livestock are recorded in the state
animal health information system at the GAVS. General State Veterinary is a state agency
and has branches all over Mongolia.
3.1 Access to veterinary services
Access to veterinary services is very important for nomadic herder households. There are 17
must take regular veterinary services. At the soum level, veterinary services provided for
herder households are registered with the name of head of household, type of services
provided by private veterinarians, and inspected by the State Veterinary inspector based in
the soum. A traceability system was developed and adopted at the GSVA so that data and
information recorded in the soum database is automatically monitored at the aimag and
central level.
3.2 Animal health.
The animal health information system records history of animal disease by each herder
households and provides information if the animals have been infected with any diseases.
Because members of the PUGs share the same seasonal rangelands, it is also very important
to ensure that no disease outbreak occurs within the boundaries of the PUGs.
3.3 Drug residual
By recording the date the animals have been vaccinated or injected with drugs or antibiotics,
the animal health system monitors the possibility of drug residual in animal body.
Evaluation criteria Source of verification:
✓ The origin of the livestock (aimag,
soum, bag, herder family)
✓ Records of annual veterinary
services provided
✓ Livestock health status
✓ Drug residual
✓ National animal health traceability
system at the General State
Veterinary Authority shows following
information:
✓ State veterinary laboratory database
at the State Central Veterinary
Laboratory provides validation that
livestock if free from any drug
residual.
4. Animal welfare
Animal welfare indicators are chosen to be included in the Responsible Nomads system with
great care. Officials are in consultation with herders and local specialists to identify local best
practices and traditional knowledge, and to assess the resilient capacity of local livestock to
climatic and rangeland conditions in the country. Providing secure access to rangelands for
each season, water, warm shelter/bedding and reserve forage in winter to all livestock is
necessary for nomadic herders to ensure healthy lifestyles for their animals. In addition,
herders that lose livestock due to bad management of animal welfare, rather than because
of natural disasters or factors beyond their control, is seen as “irresponsible” behavior. This
is measured as the mortality rate of newborn livestock, the “responsible” threshold of which
is 10% or below.

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Evaluation criteria Source of verification:
✓ Availability of four seasonal
rangelands Story platforms: Hand-
made PUG Grazing map and plans
✓ Access to water sources
✓ Proper winter shelter/bedding (story
platform)
✓ Preparation of winter forage/hay
reserve (story platform: tables)
✓ Annual mortality rate of new-born
livestock is less than 10%
Animal welfare database at the Mongolian
National PUG Federation with following
information:
5 Environmental stewardship
Nomadic herders share rangelands with wildlife and, thus, maintaining healthy rangelands
and livestock has a direct influence on the welfare of wildlife. Herders organized into PUGs
have an obligation to take care of wildlife species and promote growth of rare plant species
in their rangelands.
Evaluation criteria Source of verification:
✓ Wildlife co-existence (story
platform-wild sheep story to write)
✓ Rare species (story platform)
Habitat of wildlife species and rare plant
species marked in the seasonal rangelands
of PUGs available at the Mongolian
National PUG Federation.
GG AHP has supported creation of application for mobile phones for the Responsible
Nomads for its customers and buyers to access to information and history about the products
verified through the system. The application now has been used in cashmere, yak and baby
camel wool and for milk and meat.
Picture 17. Hand phone application for customers and buyers.