It is widely accepted that an understanding of the environmental and socio-economic conditions of an area is a prerequisite for the identification and formulation of appropriate research and development strategies. It is important to know 'why people do what they do' especially in traditional societies which have remained relatively unchanged by the forces of modern technological advancement. The general belief that traditional pastoral practices need to be improved has largely shaped pasture development policy throughout the world (Sanford, 1983). According to Miller (1995), agricultural policies in the Himalayan countries have generally ignored the role of livestock in development, and failed to appreciate the efficacy of traditional pastoral systems. Ives and Messerli (1989) dwelt at great length on the need to develop policies and programmes that are sensitively attuned to, and supportive of the local people who are the prime actors at the interface of man-nature relationship. The need to conduct systematic research before introducing innovation in the name of progress is further stressed by Goldstein et al. (1990). Sustainable innovations for economic enhancement of the people or ecological improvement of the environment in which they live can only be introduced if there is a high degree of relevance to prevailing local cultural and production practices and traditions.
