Looking to the past for the future

The continuous preference for the introduction of exotic breeds into developing countries is putting the existence of many indigenous breeds at risk. And yet, through better breeding programmes, traditional livestock can be improved to provide better outputs. To help countries achieve these aims, the initiative for Domestic Animal Diversity (iDAD) is currently producing guidelines for identifying and achieving particular breeding objectives (more meat, milk, eggs, wool etc.) for certain breeds. In addition, iDAD supports the conservation of these varieties as pure breeds, which is vital for maintaining genetic diversity and preserving the genetic material on which future agriculture may depend.

Bigger and better?

The high productivity for which exotic breeds are bought is often not realised by many farmers in developing country production systems. Introduced breeds are expensive to maintain and will usually only do well if provided continuously with intensive inputs. In commercial sectors, better housing, feed provision and health care allow some farmers to keep bigger and less hardy animals. In rural areas, this is usually not possible, particularly in regions where the climate is extremely variable and conditions can be hostile. In contrast, indigenous breeds are adapted to these environments - they are more resistant to disease, can cope with the climatic uncertainties, and live and reproduce much longer. Under these conditions, and with improved management, these breeds can produce well in addition to being highly productive. Long life of farm animals is very important in developing country production systems; an important reason for the increasing interest in the Buffalo in some village farming areas of the world.

There is evidence that these locally adapted indigenous breeds of developing countries commonly exhibit a wide variation between animals of traits that are of importance to local food production. This suggests that, if well designed and executed, genetic improvement programmes should be very successful. However, reports show that there are currently very few well-designed breeding programmes in developing countries, which are utilising the expanded understanding of genetic principles.

Namibia, for instance, is renowned for the number of indigenous breeds of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry that are found within different regions of the country. These traditional breeds tend to be smaller in size and are often, mistakenly, thought to be inferior to commercial breeds. However small, indigenous livestock, such as the Sanga cattle and Damara sheep, are cheaper to maintain than commercial breeds because they have evolved to cope with a limited availability of forage and water and to survive and reproduce in a hot, dry climate. For instance, in rural areas where draft power is used, indigenous, small-framed oxen continue to be preferred for their greater stamina. Local breeds are also more resistant to disease and internal parasites. N'dama cattle of West Africa are well known for their resistance to trypanosomiasis. In Asia, the Javanese Zebu cattle are highly fertile, hardy and resistant to tick infestation but, despite these traits, this breed is currently listed as endangered.

In Zambia, indigenous breeds of cattle include the Tonga, Angoni and the Barotse but little information currently exists on their potentially useful characteristics. This is true of many traditional livestock in developing countries. However, a project financed by UNDP is to identify and characterise the fourteen most important livestock breeds used for food and agriculture in the SADC region. Although the highest-ranking animals are ruminants, the project will also include pigs and poultry, which are of particular importance to women and farmers who keep only a few animals.

Biodiveristy to biotechnology

Characterisation of breeds is particularly vital as traits, such as disease resistance, that have yet to be documented may be lost for ever if these animals become extinct. Over 3,000 breeds for 28 domestic species are listed in FAO's World Watch for Domestic Animal Diversity. Of these, it is estimated that 30% are endangered or critically endangered. For many smallholder farmers, particularly in marginal areas, an animal's most essential quality is not its rate of growth or productivity, but its basic ability to survive and reproduce. Indigenous breeds do this but they also have much more to offer and it is essential that their genes are available for future breeding programmes, not just for these breeds, but also for use in sustainably upgrading livestock development in the battle for improved food security.

For example, the infamous Fayoumi chicken of Egypt, which exists well as a free-range scavenger, has recently been re-discovered and has been exported to twelve different countries. Scientists in the U.S.A are currently mapping the genes of this indigenous chicken to find useful characteristics for commercial poultry production. The Fayoumi has already been found to be more resistant to viral diseases and may also be resistant to salmonella. The latest biotechnology techniques means that these useful characteristics can be pinpointed and transferred to other breeds without also transferring unwanted characteristics, such as the Fayoumi's flighty, high-energy behaviour.

A treasure trove of genetic potential still waits to be unlocked in other indigenous breeds but this will only be achieved if these breeds continue to exist and begin to be more effectively developed for the benefit of farmers and developing country communities today and in the future.

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