Indicators to monitor livestock genetic diversity

Policy makers should base there decisions on sound indicators of biodiversity. Proposed indicators sets do not work well. They focus on the number of breeds, which tends to increase with the import of exotic breeds and the creation of new breeds genetically similar to old breeds. Current sets also ignore pressures on biodiversity and responses to these threats. We developed two new sets to address these problems: a restricted set communicating the state of biodiversity at a glance and an extended set giving more background information. Indicators were tested with data on chicken breeds and production in the Netherlands and in Vietnam. They were scored for policy relevance, analytical soundness, measurability and ease of interpretation. The newly developed sets scored positively on all four aspects. The extended set was especially relevant for policy and the restricted set, easy to measure and interpre

Indicators to monitor livestock genetic diversity

Policy makers should base there decisions on sound indicators of biodiversity. Proposed indicators sets do not work well. They focus on the number of breeds, which tends to increase with the import of exotic breeds and the creation of new breeds genetically similar to old breeds. Current sets also ignore pressures on biodiversity and responses to these threats. We developed two new sets to address these problems: a restricted set communicating the state of biodiversity at a glance and an extended set giving more background information. Indicators were tested with data on chicken breeds and production in the Netherlands and in Vietnam. They were scored for policy relevance, analytical soundness, measurability and ease of interpretation. The newly developed sets scored positively on all four aspects. The extended set was especially relevant for policy and the restricted set, easy to measure and interpre

Indicators for livestock and crop biodiversity

The focus of this study is on indicators for genetic resources, relevant for food and agriculture, for future food security and other functions of genetic resources or agro-biodiversity. The is one small area in the range of levels and sectors. It is recognized that there are many interrelationships between biodiversity and agriculture, between wild species and agriculture species and between ecosystem and genetic diversity. However, from the perspective of conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture, there is a need for specific, quality (sets of) indicators, which help policy makers to monitor policies and for ‘early warning’ purposes. Genetic resources for food and agriculture have received some attention in international fora such as the CBD, the OECD and the FAO, but not as much as indicators for other sectors and levels of biodiversit