The Animal Genetic Resources Strategy for Europe
The Animal Genetic Resources Strategy for Europe sets out a roadmap to improve the conservation and sustainable use of livestock diversity. It covers common species such as cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, goats and poultry, as well as other domesticated animal species like buffalo, donkeys, rabbits, reindeer and bees. The strategy was developed by an ad hoc action group of the European Regional Focal Point for AnGR (ERFP), with input from National Coordinators and Working Group experts.
The Strategy is needed because animal genetic resources (AnGR) – the diversity of livestock species and breeds – are the genetic base for development of sustainable and resilient livestock systems in the future. Only eight of almost 40 domesticated mammalian and bird species provide more than 95% of the animal-source foods for the human. While there are around 8,800 recorded breeds, about 7% have already become extinct, 24% are at risk of extinction and 50% with unknown status. Moreover, many breeds face the risk of inbreeding due to limited-within breed genetic diversity. Finally, for the majority of breeds, no material is being deliberately conserved in genebanks for their future.
The strategy sets out to achieve several goals in addition to improved conservation and sustainable use. It will contribute to the implementation of international policy commitments, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals. It aims to spread and share the responsibility for conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources among all actors in the sector, beyond the well-organised European breeding organisations that take responsibility with farmers to carry out breeding programmes and conservation measures. Stakeholders include government representatives, research and educational institutions, NGOs, hobby breeders, breed associations and the multinational breeding companies that dominate the livestock sector. Raising awareness throughout society and all value-chain actors is crucial and an important key element of the strategy.
One aspect of AnGR that sets it apart from forest and plant genetic resources is that much of the existing diversity is privately owned and managed by farmers, breed associations and breeding companies. This speaks to the need for close collaboration between public and private actors as well as comprehensive policy and legal frameworks that take AnGR on board.
The main section of the strategy, on conservation and sustainable use, indicates the key areas that require strengthening.
Monitoring is vital to ensure that national entities and breed organisations are aware of potential threats or negative trends early enough to act. At the same time, characterisation and performance records provide information valuable to breeding programmes and sustainable use. The European Farm Animal Biodiversity Information System (EFABIS) is an important component of the global Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS), and the strategy points out that it needs to be strengthened and supported. Similarly, the European Gene Bank Network for Animal Genetic Resources (EUGENA), which collates and makes available information on AnGR conserved ex-situ, should be expanded and supported.
Sustainable use, in terms of breeding programmes, requires fine tuning. It needs to balance the improvement of animal performance, through selection, while maintaining within-breed diversity, which is the foundation of adaptation and genetic improvement. The strategy recommends the development of sustainable breeding programmes by promoting participatory approaches that involve farmers and breed societies, as well as investment in innovation and new breeding methods. Finally, advanced technical research needs to be turned into methods that could improve conservation of animal genetic resources in genebanks.
Another key recommendation is to foster greater integration between in situ and ex situ conservation. Ex-situ conservation has two aspects; management of living populations outside their original area, or in vivo ex situ conservation, while the storage of tissues and cells, in particular reproductive cells, is in vitro ex situ conservation (or genebanks). The strategy recommends that countries develop strategies and action plans to better integrate in situ and ex situ conservation, especially for breeds that transcend national boundaries.
Finally, the strategy addresses the policy and legal framework and the need to ensure that all countries are able to undertake necessary actions. This includes reference to an EU Reference Centre tasked with harmonising the efforts of breed societies and others to conserve genetic diversity, as foreseen in the EU-Animal Breeding Regulation. Such a Centre could make a major contribution to the overall goal of improving the conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources in countries in Europe.
The Animal Genetic Resources Strategy for Europe is available for download.
