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Submitted to: Animal Genetic Resources Information
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2007 Publication Date: 7/1/2007 Citation: Blackburn, H.D. 2007. Integrating policies for the management of animal genetic resources with demand for livestock products and environmental sustainability. Animal Genetic Resources Information. 41:53-64. Interpretive Summary: There is a global recognition that animal genetic resources should be conserved. But policies aimed at conserving animal genetic resources can not be viewed independent of the economic development of the livestock sector and countries, and addressing environmental concerns which plague many developing countries. A framework for incorporating animal genetic resource conservation and management into broader sectoral policy formulation has been proposed and includes the areas of: incentives to produce; secure resource base; and access to markets for outputs and inputs, including technology. Key policy areas include title to real property, elimination of importation subsidies provided for specific genotypes, and the establishment of genebanks responsible for collecting and storing diverse genetic resources. Technical Abstract: Recognition of the need to conserve animal genetic resources comes at a time when the global livestock sector faces significant challenges in meeting the growing demand for livestock products and the mitigation of negative environmental impacts caused by livestock. Outside of the U.S. it would seem that portions of the growing demand for livestock products is met by increasing animal numbers instead of achieving increases in production efficiency. In regions other than North America, extensive grazing and mixed crop-livestock production systems are largely responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of environmental degradation. Under the growing demand and environmental sustainability rubric exists a need to garner maximum benefit from diverse animal genetic resources. These three areas form a nexus that developing country national policies must simultaneously consider. To advance this integration a policy framework is proposed that consists of: incentives to produce; secure resource base; and access to markets for outputs and inputs, including technology. Within this framework a set of potential policies are suggested that promote conservation, livestock sector growth and environmental sustainability. These policies include: title to real property, elimination of importation subsidies provided for specific genotypes, and the establishment of genebanks responsible for collecting and storing diverse genetic resources. |
