Future of Animal Genetic Resources International Workshop 17. October 2006 Breed Conservation in Germany and Europe Jörg Bremond Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food Div. 513 - Information and Coordination Centre for Biological Diversity (IBV)
A Breed The term breed distinguishes one population of an animal species from another of the same species. The existance of different breeds can be seen as source and basis of diversity (biodiversity and agrobiodiversity). Since long it is clear an in this respect it is a global and common goal to protect and maintain the variety of different breeds of farm animals. World-wide currently more than 5000 breeds within 35 species are registered or under some kind of documentation.
In Europe / Germany the species Horse, Cattle, Pig, Sheep, Goat and Poultry are most important. In this respect activities to maintain breeds refer to these species.
To understand, how the conservation of breeds is managed, it is useful to look at the organisational structures of the animal breeding sector in Europe and Germany.
That means in practice: several EU / EC Legislations, directives and decisions are in force
The most relevant terms regarding animal breeding are - Breeding - organisation - Breed - Herdbook A breeding - organisation has an official and legal authorisation. In this respect these organisations excluxively are responsible for the implementation of animal-breeding programmes. A breeding programme refers allways to a named breed (population), where the breeding goals and performance recording and - testing are ruled in specific statutes of the breeding organisation, which are legally predifined. The organisational and technical aspects are documented in specific registrations. Individual animals are registered in Herdbooks.
www.genres.de/tgrdeu Die Zentrale Dokumentation Tiergenetischer Ressourcen in Deutschland (TGRDEU) www.genres.de/tgrdeu On a national level the Central Documentation for Animal Biological Diversity in Germany (TGRDEU) is a main tool to describe the Farm - Animal - Breeding - Sector in Germany. It is a complete registration of breeds and Breeding - organisations in Germany.
Select a Breed
Select a Breed Relevant Breeding - Organisations Characterisation Number of breeding-animals (Herdbook)
In this respect, on national level, all relevant information regarding further acitivities to maintain and support breeders and their endangered breeds are documented in TGRDEU, the german national documentation-system. In a similar way, many other european countries have information and documentation-systems. www.genres.de/tgrdeu
France Austria Scandinavia United Kingdom Netherlands Slovenia
Furthermore, there is an international documentation - system regarding Animal Genetic Ressources. It is documented by the FAO, and installed and implemented as an online - data - base - information - system. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) www.fao.org/dad-is
Maintaining endangered breeds and conservation of genetical and biological diversity in this respect follow international and / or global demands, considering political, technical, scientifical and legal aspects. A main global structure is given through the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
The development of a country-driven process to prepare a first Report on the State of the World s Animal Genetic Resources (SoW-AnGR) was agreed by the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) in 1999. Country - Driven -... means, that each country reports its own situation regarding Animal Genetic Ressources and delivers this workout as a National Report. FAO is about to compile the mentioned global report. Moreover, it is the intention, that each and every country uses this process to establish national measures and actions to maintain biological diversity.
The German National Report was worked out by an expert-group of the "German Association for Animal Production" (DGfZ). Additionally to the report, a "National Management Plan" was elaborated, which was adopted by the "Conference of ministers of agriculture" in Germany in March 2003.
Source: TGRDEU (2006)
Many organisations meanwhile have worked out and implemented conservation breeding - programs. More than 100 breeding - organisations are active in the the in-situ conservation of endangered breeds in Germany.
An ex-situ collection of semen and embryos of several breeds has been started and will be completed within the next years.
The continuation of the National Management Plan mainly the further setup of the National Cryo Collection and Sustainable Breeding and Utilisation Programs are the mid-term goals for the next years.