Underutilized animal genetic resources

Lack of animal breeding
Unmanaged cattle breeding
Unimproved domestic livestock

Nature

Governmental infrastructure for improving services for recording and progeny-performance testing is weak or non-existent in developing countries, and some potentially viable animal breeds and strains in the developing countries are much underutilized, even though the animals could play an important role in economic and social development.

Background

The global significance of underutilized animal genetic resources emerged in the late 20th century, as agricultural modernization and breed standardization led to the marginalization of indigenous livestock breeds. International concern intensified following the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity, prompting studies and inventories by organizations such as FAO. Recognition grew that the erosion of these genetic resources threatened food security, ecosystem resilience, and cultural heritage, spurring calls for their conservation and sustainable use worldwide.

Incidence

The FAO includes the following animals as underutilized: Boran and Sahiwal cattle, Awassi sheep, Shami goats, water buffalo, and camelidae (llama and alpaca).

Counter-claim

The concern over underutilized animal genetic resources is vastly overstated. In reality, modern agriculture thrives on efficiency and productivity, which is best achieved by focusing on proven, high-yield breeds. Diverting resources to preserve obscure or less-productive animal genetics is an unnecessary distraction. There are far more pressing issues—such as food security and disease control—that deserve our attention and investment, rather than worrying about conserving every rare breed.