December 18, 2006
 
Demand for meat can lead to extinction of domestic breeds

The increasing global demand for chicken, pork and meat can lead to extinction of around of domestic animal breeds as only hybrids with more and less feed are widely utilised by animal raisers worldwide. 

In a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation gathered by the Business Mirror Daily, the probability that culling only the best breeds for commercial purposes could cause the extinction of around 20 percent of domestic animal breeds.
 

The warning is contained in the FAO report draft entitled "State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources," where the UN agency reported the world loses a breed each month due to a globalisation of livestock markets that favours high-output breeds over a multiple gene pool--different types of breeds--that is vital for future food security because it ensures survival of all food animal meat sources.
           

According to the report, out of more than 7,600 breeds in the FAO global database of farm animal genetic resources, 190 breeds have already become extinct in the past 15 years and 1,500 more are deemed at risk of extinction.

           
The final version of the report, the UN unit said, would be presented to an international conference in Switzerland in September next year, the International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources. This meeting is expected to adopt a global action plan to halt the loss of genetic diversity.
     
     
Jose Esquinas-Alcazar, secretary of the FAO's Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, maintaining the animal genetic diversity will allow future generations to select stocks or develop new breeds to cope with emerging issues, such as climate changes, diseases and other changing socio-economic factors. 
           
Alcazar noted that in the last five years alone, some 60 breeds of cattle, goats, pigs, horses, and poultry have been lost to hybrid technology.

Irene Hoffman, FAO's chief of animal production service said the selection in high-output breeds is focused on production traits and tends to underrate functional and adaptive traits that could narrow genetic base as local breeds are discarded in response to market forces.             

The report emphasised globalisation of livestock markets as the biggest single factor unfavourably affecting diversity of the gene pool. Its negative effect could be severely affect to many communities globally since livestock contributes to the livelihood of one billion people worldwide, and some 70 percent of the rural poor depend on it as an important part of their livelihoods. 
         
The UN unit noted that traditional production systems require multipurpose animals which provide a range of goods and services. Modern agriculture has developed specialised breeds, optimizing specific production traits.
           

The "State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources" is the first-ever global study undertaken by the UN to assess the status of genetic animal resources and the capacity of countries to manage them.

Data used in the study were obtained from 169 nations including the Philippines. The draft was presented to over 150 delegates from more than 90 countries at an FAO meeting last week.