Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) for Food Security

摘要

Demand for livestock products is increasing against a background of rapid change in the agricultural sector, genetic erosion of indigenous livestock diversity and increasing impact of climate change.In developed countries, improved livestock genetics associated with better husbandry-better feeds, health care and housing-have resulted in significant and sustained increases in livestock productivity. New technologies, including better recording of production traits, statistical models to predict genetic merit, genetic marker information in selection programmes (Goddard et ah, 2007; Clark et ah, 2013) and new reproductive technologies that speed up genetic gains (Kasinathan et ah, 2015) are leading tofurther productivity gains in the commercial sectors. This is not yet happening in developing countries (Marshall, 2014). The reasons are multiple, they include but are not limited to, a lack of understanding of the potential of indigenous livestock genetic resources for productivity improvement; investment prioritized other avenues of livestock development; heterogeneity of livestock systems and preferences of livestock keepers; lack of supportive policies, institutional arrangements and capacity to undertake genetic improvement (Kosgey and Okeyo, 2007; Rege et ah, 2011).