Rare livestock breeds: the impacts of diminishing genetic diversity on the future of Agriculture

The diversity in today’s livestock breeds has been shaped largely through the domestication of wild ancestral species and subsequent refinement by human selection for desired traits. Only a small fraction of the genetic diversity from the ancestral species survives in the domestic counterparts. A 2007 report released by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) "The state of the world's animal genetic resources" stated that nearly 70% of the world's remaining livestock breeds are found in developing countries, while the developed countries are characterized by a few highly productive breeds that thrive under intensive farming systems. The indigenous livestock breeds in developing countries are increasingly at risk as non-native breeds are imported to replace and/or cross-breed in an attempt to improve productivity. The First International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources in Interlaken, Switzerland brought together more than 300 policy makers, scientists, breeders, and livestock keepers with the aim of developing a global plan of action for conserving animal genetic resources as its main outcome. In this paper, the impact of diminishing genetic diversity on livestock breeds and the development of genetic resource banks as insurance against the loss of livestock genetic diversity are considered.