FAO says 22% of cattle breeds are at risk
30/10/2012
In a statement in advance of a conference on the subject of animal genetic resources at the end of October, the FAO said many countries in Africa, the Near East and the Americas are lagging behind in efforts to halt the erosion of livestock genetic resources, which the organisation has described as “crucial for food and agriculture”. A substantial gap in these efforts remains and needs to be urgently addressed, the Rome-based organisation said.
Indigenous breeds are important in agriculture, the statement continued, because they are adapted to often harsh local conditions, contain unique genetic material important for breeding programmes and are often “a livelihood bastion” for poor households because they are easier to keep than exotic breeds. “In a world threatened by climate change, breeds that are resistant to drought, extreme heat or tropical diseases are of major potential importance,” the FAO added.
According to the latest available figures, about 22% of the world’s livestock breeds are still classified as being at risk of extinction, although breed population figures are often unreported or out of date, making the true state of livestock diversity difficult to estimate.
Eight projects to improve the management of animal genetic resources, involving 22 countries, are already under way.
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