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People
and
Livestock
Issue 6, September 2007
Page 5 of 8




Managing African animal genetic resources
Workshop on managing animal genetic resources in Africa: Strategies, priorities,
livestock keepers' rights, and the way forward, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, May 2007
About 50 stakeholders in livestock keeping, breeding and management from nine
African countries, Europe and India met to discuss the future of African livestock.
The workshop helped prepare African stakeholders prepare for the Interlaken con-
ference (see previous story) by allowing them to familiarize themselves with the In-
terlaken process and discuss and amend the proposed Interlaken Declaration and
Strategic Priorities for Action.
The workshop organizers were the Ethiopian Society of Animal Production, the In-
stitute of Biodiversity Conservation, the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endoge-
nous Livestock Development, the LIFE (Local Livestock For Empowerment) Net-
work, the Endogenous Livestock Development Network and the Pastoral Forum
Ethiopia. The spectrum of organizers and participants ­ all stakeholders in animal
genetic resources management including nine African National Coordinators on
Animal Genetic Resources or their representatives, plus members of government,
non-government, community-based and national and international research and
development organizations and institutions ­ is indicative for the wide range of ac-
tors and institutions that need to collaborate if measures to halt breed loss are to be
effective. Livestock keepers, especially, need to get more closely involved in con-
servation efforts.
The Addis participants issued a statement recommending that Livestock Keepers'
Rights be adopted into the official agenda of the Commission on Genetic Resources
for Food and Agriculture. The statement also called for investigations on the impli-
cations of patenting and other forms of intellectual property rights on the sustainable
management of animal genetic resources, and to discuss a financing mechanism to
implement the proposed global plan of action on animal genetic resources (see pre-
vious story).
Full report: www.pastoralpeoples.org
European Livestock Breeds Ark and Rescue Net
This new European Union project enables a group of European NGOs to establish
Ark and Rescue Centres to rescue animals of rare breeds that face slaughter or
other immediate danger.
The Ark and Rescue Centres will:
·
offer emergency places for genetically important, endangered livestock,
·
offer quarantine places for rare breeds in cases of epidemics,
·
keep core-breeding groups,
·
offer breeding help for livestock keepers,
·
offer a place for the public to see the animal genetic resources of Europe,
·
encourage collaboration between organizations and institutes wishing to con-
serve European animal genetic resources.
Other aspects of the project include working groups to develop suggestions on how
Ark and Rescue Centres can maximize the marketing potential of the rare livestock
breeds in their care, and a database reflecting the experience collected during the
project. The database will be based on the existing Arca-Net (see www.arca-
net.info).
In February 2008, a central workshop will take place. If you are interested in becom-
ing part of the project, contact office@save-foundation.net or see www.save-
foundation.net/pdf/ELBARN.pdf
Source: SAVE eNews 1/2007
A wide range of stake-
holders must collabo-
rate if local breeds are
to be conserved to the
benefit of farmers and
pastoralists
A European initiative to
save rare animal breeds
from extinction ­ espe-
cially during epidemics