Countries that are part of the European Union are drafting the last amendments to their new Rural Development Programmes (RDP) which will start beginning of 2023. The RDP can be a powerful tool to enhance the conservation of Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR), either by direct financial support or by measures that indirectly contribute to the conservation of AnGR (e.g. payments for maintaining high quality pastures through grazing, organic production, etc.). Non EU countries also have initiatives that fund AnGR conservation.
The National Coordinator of Serbia, Srdjan Stojanovic, under the umbrella of the ERFP In Situ Working Group, initiated a wide survey in Europe on national support measures for the conservation of local breeds. We hope that the results of this survey will provide new insights for the implementation of support measures for the conservation and sustainable use of AnGR across Europe. Local breeds are not only a source of genetic diversity in agriculture and livestock, they represent a national heritage and provide identity for the local community.
To read the report, please click here