Building an international legal framework on animal genetic resources: can it help the drylands and food-insecure countries?

This article discusses the case for an international treaty on animal genetic resources, confirming that one-third of the world’s livestock breeds are now endangered. It argues that animal genetic resources are essential for food security from at least two angles:as a means of utilising marginal environments not suitable for crop cultivationas building blocks for future livestock development that will enable animal producers to respond to changes in production circumstances and new consumer preferences.While animal genetic resources are subject to national sovereignty, regional and international cooperation is necessary. Breeds occur across borders, and market failures to conserve genetic diversity warrant public intervention. Market forces currently favour intensive or industrialised animal monocultures, while production systems that conserve genetic diversity are not rewarded for this service.Many of the countries and regions that are richest in animal genetic resources are very food insecure, so supporting dryland communities through better infrastructure, services, animal health care, marketing opportunities and other interventions would make a significant contribution to both poverty alleviation and food security. It would also contribute to the conservation and sustainable management of animal genetic resources.An international legal framework on animal genetic resources would seek to create a level playing field between dryland production systems that conserve genetic diversity, and intensive and industrialised systems that erode it. In defending their interests, dryland countries with pastoral populations and rich animal genetic resources could form a unified bloc for negotiations on an international legal framework on animal genetic resources.