Farm animal genetic resources. Global regions – breeds at risk. Europe: Ukraine (Chicken. Domestic duck. Domestic goose. Turkey)

World food production and agriculture utilize only a few animal species, within which many breeds with unique characteristics have developed over time.These genetic resources form the pool of domestic animal diversity (DAD) that is available to meet the increasing massive global demand for food and agriculture. The DAD component of biological diversity is essential to sustain efficient production from the world’s broad range of food production environments required to satisfy many different needs of human communities.

This biological diversity is being lost as human population and economic pressures accelerate the pace of change in traditional agricultural systems. More and more breeds of domestic animals are in danger of becoming extinct.

Greater efforts in the conservation and sustainable use of these farm animal genetic resources are required to stop and reverse this trend of erosion of diversity. Conservation is not simply the preservation of those breeds that are currently not in use. It also encompasses the characterisation and monitoring over time of the gene pool of each species. The wise use of these resources also contributes an important conservation element. In the drive to realize Food for All, the necessary sustainable intensification of farming systems must also provide for the further development of breeds which are already highly adapted to the world’s food and agriculture production environments.

Within the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources, FAO is establishing the Global Early Warning System for domestic animal diversity. The basis of this system is the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) and its incorporated database, which is used for the recording of breed inventories and descriptions and for the monitoring of the conservation of these genetic resources over time. The Global Databank for Farm Animal Genetic Resources currently includes information on 6 379 breed populations comprising thirty mammalian and avian species. This information has been used to prepare this third edition of the World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity (WWL-DAD:3)...