Many upland communities in northwest Yunnan, China, are agropastoralist. Agropastoralist livelihoods in the region are characterised by close interactions between crops and livestock, and by seasonal transhumance. Agropastoralist communities are relatively marginalised by technical service agencies and policy making processes. The Center for Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge (CBIK), a local NGO, has been working with communities and extension agencies to develop approaches to innovative technical and institutional interventions that support sustainable livelihoods. The present article describes the issues faced by agropastoralists in the region, the approaches promoted by CBIK (participatory technology development and co-management of rangelands), and issues faced in scaling up these approaches to influence local government policy and extension practices.
