Indigenous practices of animal genetic resource management and their relevance for the conservation of domestic animal diversity in developing countries
1997
Köhler-Rollefson, I.
SUMMARY: This paper aims to suggest an alternative, or supplementary, conceptual and practical framework for livestock genetic resource conservation in developing countries. In a paradigmatic shift away from the reductionist approach of regarding ‘breeds' as manifestations of certain genes that deserve to be either saved or not saved, an evolutionary model is adopted which views livestock genetic resources as products of certain specific socioeconomic conditions. This model focuses on the processes that have caused the development of domestic animal diversity historically, such as the livestock-exchange mechanisms and breeding practices that function among traditional societies. A new definition for the term ‘breed' is suggested that does not only apply to western Europe and its former colonies, but also to developing countries. The need to integrate knowledge into the identification and conservation of threatened livestock breeds is emphasized. By exploring these additional dimensions, new and participatory strategies for maintaining livestock genetic diversity can be discovered, that will have a wider application than technical approaches.
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