Rapid industrialization and intensification of livestock production systems has placed farm animal diversity under threat: 62 breeds have become extinct during the past six years, the equivalent of one breed per month. A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) aims to draw international attention to this alarming trend, which may have severe consequences for global food security and sustainable development if not addressed. This is one of many diverse challenges faced by the livestock sector, which is also working to adapt to rising global demand for animal products, the emergence of new livestock diseases, and the risks associated with climate change.
Twenty Percent of Breeds at Risk of Extinction
The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture drew upon 169 Country Reports and twelve specially commissioned thematic studies to compile its first global assessment of livestock biodiversity. Among its most concerning findings, the report classifies 20 percent of all livestock breeds as at risk of extinction.
Number of Extinct Mammalian Breeds
Source: FAO, 2007.
Meat production from the global livestock sector is projected to more than double over the next 50 years, reflecting an ongoing trend in developing countries--as incomes rise, people increase consumption of previously unaffordable foods such as meat, milk and eggs (FAO, 2006). In an effort to keep up with rapidly growing demand, the animal production sector has shifted towards large-scale industrial production focusing on a narrow range of high-output breeds, which are intensively bred to supply a uniform product. As a consequence, many less productive breeds are driven towards extinction, causing their unique genetic traits, which may include valuable characteristics such as disease resistance or tolerance to weather extremes, to be lost forever. Furthermore, within-breed genetic diversity is also eroding due to the selection of a few highly popular sires for breeding.
Developing Countries are a Hotspot of Breed Diversity Loss
The progressive narrowing of genetic diversity is nearly complete in the developed regions of North America and Europe, but developing countries are now just beginning to experience this trend. In Vietnam, for example, the percentage of indigenous sows declined from 72 percent to 26 percent of the total population in only eight years. In Kenya, the introduction of the Dorper sheep has resulted in the virtual disappearance of pure-bred Red Maasai sheep.
The consequences of these changes could be vast for food security and sustainable development. The global livestock sector provides livelihoods to about 1.3 billion people worldwide, most of whom are smallholder farmers in developing countries. The capacity of the livestock sector to maintain and increase productivity and to adapt to changing circumstances (including climate change and new diseases), relies extensively on the ability of livestock keepers to draw upon a genetically diverse livestock population to develop new breeds.
Distribution of Large White pigs
*The Large White pig is the most common breed worldwide.
Source: FAO, 2007.
Towards Sustainable Management of Genetic Resources
In this latest report, the FAO encourages sustainable management of global genetic resources. Achieving this will require a number of actions at the country and international level, including:
- Revising policy and legal frameworks influencing the livestock sector, particularly those that favor large-scale production at the expense of smallholder systems.
- Developing disease control strategies that incorporate measures to protect rare breeds.
- Instigating conservation measures to identify and protect potentially valuable genetic resources against sudden disastrous losses. This may include in vivo conservation measures to protect live animals, or in vitro conservation of genetic material in liquid nitrogen.
RELATED LINKS:
Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources
International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources and Food and Agriculture
Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA)
EarthTrends
