Animal genetic resources for food and agriculture
Some less-utilized species include the dromedary, donkey, bactrian camel, buffalo, guinea pig, horse, rabbit, yak, goose, duck, ostrich, partridge, pheasant, pigeon, and turkey.
[2] The domestication of major crop and livestock species in the early neolithic time period changed our human evolution and lifestyles.
These traits include lack of aggression towards humans, a strong gregarious instinct, a "follow the leader" dominance hierarchy, a tendency not to panic when disturbed, a diet that can be easily supplied by humans (herbivores), a rapid growth rate, relatively short intervals between births, and large litter size.
[5] Other factors such as mutations, genetic drift and natural and artificial selection have also played a role in shaping the diversity of livestock populations.
Interbreeding within these sub-populations between individuals that thrived in the local prevailing environmental conditions (and were thus better able to reproduce) contributed to the formation of distinct groups of animals, known as breeds.
Examples of traits that have been deliberately selected by humans include growth rate, milk or egg production, coat color, meat quality, and age of maturity, among many others.
As a result of these developments, a limited number of transboundary commercial breeds, such as the Holstein cow and Large White pig, have become very widespread and nowadays increasingly dominate livestock production globally.
[6] Thus, understanding the origins and the history of distribution of livestock is central to maintaining their current utilization and long-term conservation as resources.
[citation needed] Different breeds produce specific wool, hairs and leather for clothing, carpets and furniture and are often the basis for traditional garments.
They appear frequently in art and often play key roles in traditional customs, such as religious ceremonies, sporting events and weddings.
[8] For example, the Engadine sheep, which were near extinction in the 1980s, today help to preserve centuries-old grassland in the Alps by eating invasive shrubs.
Having access to a range of diverse livestock traits may allow for greater ability to cope with harsh climates and emerging diseases.
[14] "Factors as causes of genetic erosion: One of the greatest threats to livestock diversity is pressure from large-scale commercial production systems to maintain only high-output breeds.
[16] Recent molecular studies have revealed that the diversity of today's indigenous livestock populations greatly exceeds that found in their commercial counterparts.
The world's pool of animal genetic resources is also currently shrinking, with rapid and uncontrolled loss of breeds and conjointly their often uncharacterized genes.
[21] In order to protect these unique traits, and the diversity they allow, collaborative global efforts towards the characterization and management of these genetic resources must be made.
Unlike plants, which can be easily conserved in seed banks, a large portion of livestock genetic diversity relies on live populations and their interactions with the environment.
For example, horn size, meat quality, gait, and prenatal growth in cattle all have single genes found to be responsible for these phenotypic traits.
In order to establish and strengthen these programs, more research on methods and technologies must be undertaken, especially for less common livestock species, and greater financial investment is required.
[citation needed] Many countries are currently operating conservation programs for their animal genetic resources, at least for some species and breeds.
In May 1997, The CGRFA established an Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITWG-AnGR).
[31] The ITWG-AnGR's objectives are to review the situation and issues related to agrobiodiversity of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture.
Within the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, AnGR are addressed under the target 2.5: "By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed.
"[36] Which is monitored by the following indicators: "2.5.1: Number of plant and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium or long term conservation facilities.
Patenting of animal genetic resources reached its apex in the late 1990s, focusing on expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with associations in economically important traits.
[38] Trends in activity arising from genome sequencing projects merit careful attention with regard to their implications (positive or negative) for animal genetic resources management.
