CONSERVATION THROUGH UTILISATION

AGRED represents the indigenous gamebirds, the bird-shooting fraternity, wildlife conservation interests, and the land.

The AGRED Mission: “AGRED’s guiding principle is to perpetuate the natural African heritage through sustainable utilisation of gamebirds in a manner that benefits rural communities and the sport of shooting, while meeting the highest standards of conservation management.”

AGRED is privately funded, and is southern Africa’s premier gamebird and gamebird habitat management organisation.

AGRED proposes and funds scientific research, upon which it bases all of its policies and advisory services.

Although southern African orientated, AGRED’s objectives and policies are universally relevant and it is envisaged that partnerships will be entered into across the whole of Africa.

AGRED's objectives

AGRED’s key long-term objective is to restore and maintain the habitat and biodiversity of agricultural land in South Africa, optimally populated with its full complement of flora and fauna.

AGRED concentrates it's efforts on gamebirds because:

* Gamebirds offer the ability to generate environmental, social and financial benefits on a mutual basis to benefactors and beneficiaries.

* If gamebirds are flourishing, it is a sign of a healthy environment. Gamebirds occupy a position in ecological systems that ensure the wellbeing of a wide spectrum of floral and faunal species when they themselves prosper.

* Africa has an abundance and variety of wild gamebird species that far exceeds any other area of the planet thus attracting international interest that is both scientific and recreational.

* African gamebird habitat is largely in good condition, making scientific research and the application of management programmes worthwhile.

Policies

AGRED's policies are essentially determined by its Mission. In pursuit of this objective, certain guidelines or policies are employed to determine how we spend our time and utilise our financial and human resources. In summary these are:

* To concentrate on scientific research that will produce practical management programmes to farmers and landowners that are capable of being implemented. See AGRED’s new book The AGRED Guide to Gamebird Management in South Africa/ Die AGRED-gids tot Jagvoëlbestuur in Suid-Afrika available by ordering on-line from the AGRED website.

* Research will be undertaken in order to create or extend habitat suitable for indigenous game birds and other wildlife. See AGRED’s new book The AGRED Guide to Gamebird Management in South Africa/ Die AGRED-gids tot Jagvoëlbestuur in Suid-Afrika available by ordering on-line from the AGRED website.
 
* AGRED strives to make gamebird and wildlife production economically effective. The concept and practice of utilizing indigenous fauna and flora as a sustainable economic resource provides additional income supplementary to that obtained from conventional forms of agricultural land use. This is in line with the policies adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). See AGRED’s new book The AGRED Guide to Gamebird Management in South Africa/ Die AGRED-gids tot Jagvoëlbestuur in Suid-Afrika available by ordering on-line from the AGRED website.
 
* To give farmers and rural communities compelling incentives to look after the natural habitat and wildlife on their land, their commitment to conservation is increased.

* AGRED offers consultancies on the management of gamebirds and on the potential of land for gamebird shooting, either for commercial or private usage. AGRED’s management advice seeks to empower the owner or manager, by establishing and explaining the principles and the measures by which that person can further develop the management of birds and monitor their numbers. See Consultancies.