According
to The Second Report on the State of the World's Animal Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture, some 17 percent (1,458) of
the world's farm animal breeds are currently at risk of extinction, while the
risk status of many others (58 percent) is simply unknown due to a lack of data
on the size and structure of their populations. Nearly 100 livestock breeds
have gone extinct between 2000 and 2014.
Country
data shows that indiscriminate cross-breeding is considered as the main cause
of genetic erosion. Other common threats to animal genetic diversity are the
increasing use of non-native breeds, weak policies and institutions regulating
the livestock sector, the decline of traditional livestock production systems,
and the neglect of breeds considered not competitive enough.
Europe
and the Caucasus, and North America are the two areas in the world with the
highest proportion of at-risk breeds. In absolute terms, the highest number of
at-risk breeds can be found in Europe and the Caucasus.
Both
areas are characterized by highly specialized livestock industries that tend to
use only a small number of breeds for production.
Why
biodiversity matters
Genetic
diversity provides the raw material for farmers and pastoralists to improve
their breeds and adapt livestock populations to changing environments and
changing demands.
"For
thousands of years, domesticated animals, like sheep, chickens and camels, have
contributed directly to the livelihoods and food security of millions of
people," said FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva, "That
includes some 70 percent of the world's rural poor today."
"Genetic
diversity is a prerequisite for adaptation in the face of future
challenges", according to the Director-General, who added that the report
will "underpin renewed efforts to ensure that animal genetic resources are
used and developed to promote global food security, and remain available for
future generations."
Among
the future challenges are climate change, emerging diseases, pressure on land
and water, and shifting market demands, which make it more important than ever
to ensure animal genetic resources are conserved and used sustainably.
Currently,
some 38 species and 8,774 separate breeds of domesticated birds and mammals are
used in agriculture and food production.
Rise
in national gene banks and improved management
A total
of 129 countries participated in the new global assessment, which follows
nearly a decade after the release of the first global assessment of animal
genetic resources in 2007.
"The
data we've collected suggests there's been improvement in the number of at-risk
breeds since the first assessment," says Beate Scherf, Animal
Production Officer at FAO and co-author of the report. "And governments
overall have definitely stepped up efforts to halt genetic erosion and more
sustainably manage their national livestock breeds."
The
study finds that governments are increasingly recognizing the importance of
sustainably using and developing the genetic resources embodied in livestock.
When
FAO published the first global assessment in 2007, fewer than 10 countries
reported having established a gene bank. That number has now risen to
64 countries, and an additional 41 countries are planning to establish
such a gene bank, according to the new report.
And
these efforts are bearing fruit, experts say: "Over the last decade,
countries across Europe have invested heavily in building shared information
systems and gene banks as security measures," according to Scherf.
Regional
collaborations like the new European Gene Bank Network (EUGENA) are key to
managing and improving breeds in the future, she says, and should be supported
by in situ conservation of live animals in their natural habitat.
In
situ conservation also recognizes the cultural and environmental value of
keeping live populations of diverse animal breeds.
Some
177 countries additionally have appointed National Coordinators and 78 have set
up multi-stakeholder advisory groups to aid national efforts to better manage
animal genetic resources.
Increasing
global trade in animal genetic resources
This
comes at a time of expansion in the global trade in breeding animals and
livestock semen, often for cross-breeding purposes, with many developing
countries emerging as significant importers and some also as exporters of
genetic material.
Increasingly,
farmers and policy makers in developing countries have embraced imports of
genetic material as a way to enhance the productivity of their livestock
populations - growing their milk output, for example, or decreasing the time
needed for an animal to reach maturity.
But
if not well planned, cross-breeding can fail to significantly improve
productivity and lead to the loss of valuable characteristics such as the
special ability to cope with extremes of temperature, limited water supplies,
poor-quality feed, rough terrain, high altitudes and other challenging aspects
of the production environment.
Challenges
to management of genetic resources
In
order to better manage livestock diversity going forward, animal breeds and
their production environment need to be better described, according to the
report, which shows genetic resources are frequently lost when limited
knowledge leads to certain breeds going underused.
More
also needs to be done to monitor population trends and emerging threats to
diversity, according to the report.
Trendspotting
will be critical
Among
the major changes to the sector over the last decades has been the rapid
expansion of large-scale high-input livestock production systems in parts of
the developing world, accompanied by growing pressures on natural resources.
South
Asia and Africa -two very resource-constrained regions that are home to many
small-scale livestock keepers and a diverse range of animal genetic resources -
are projected to become the main centres of growth in meat and milk consumption.
Trends
like these are grounds for concern because similar rises in demand in other
regions have come with a shift away from small-scale production that supports
local genetic diversity to large-scale production that is more likely to use a
limited number of breeds and can create major
challenges for the sustainable use of animal genetic resources.
Changes
in food systems are among trends that should be carefully tracked to predict
their impact on demand for particular species and breeds, according to the
report, along technology, climate changes and government policies.
Need
for greater international collaboration
At
the same time, the report stresses that international cooperation remains an
area requiring improvement in order to support future livestock biodiversity.
Since
2007, countries have been implementing the Global Plan of Action for Animal
Genetic Resources, the first internationally agreed framework of its
kind.
But
international collaboration remains relatively underdeveloped among countries
implementing the Plan, the report cautions. Cooperation should be stepped up to
move beyond the limited number of bilateral and regional research programs that
are currently in place.
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