Key research themes
1. How can sustainable management and conservation strategies be optimized to preserve animal genetic resources (AnGR) in smallholder and indigenous livestock populations under environmental and socioeconomic pressures?
This research theme focuses on developing and applying tailored sustainable management approaches for maintaining and improving local and indigenous livestock breeds, especially in low-input and smallholder farming systems typical in developing countries. It addresses the critical need for breeding strategies that integrate traditional knowledge, socioeconomic realities, and environmental challenges such as climate change. Preserving AnGR is vital for food security, poverty reduction, and maintaining biodiversity in vulnerable agro-ecological contexts.
2. What roles do genomic technologies and molecular markers play in characterizing, conserving, and improving livestock genetic resources for enhanced breeding and adaptation?
This theme investigates the application and utility of advanced genomic tools—including SNP arrays, molecular markers, and sequencing—in assessing genetic diversity, estimating inbreeding, and guiding selective breeding within diverse livestock species. It explores how integrating molecular data can enhance accuracy in identifying genetic variation, kinship, and the genomic basis of adaptive and production traits, thus facilitating sustainable breeding strategies and conservation programs especially for indigenous and endangered populations.
3. How do policy frameworks, intellectual property rights, and international cooperation influence the conservation, exchange, and sustainable use of animal genetic resources?
This theme explores the institutional, legal, and policy dimensions that underpin the conservation and sustainable use of AnGR at national and global scales. Considerations include how property rights, intellectual property regimes, sovereign rights, and international protocols shape the access, exchange, and benefit sharing of genetic resources. Understanding these frameworks is essential for harmonizing conservation initiatives, regulating genetic material flow, and addressing the socioeconomic drivers of breed erosion.