ERFP Animal genetic resources in Europe

ERFP Animal genetic resources in Europe Exchange about in and ex situ conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources in Europe

[ : the hidden power of livestock diversity]💡 New research shows that cryoconserved germplasm, often considered a resour...
05/08/2025

[ : the hidden power of livestock diversity]

💡 New research shows that cryoconserved germplasm, often considered a resource of last resort, can be a force in breeding strategies.

👉 In conservation, it helps maintain rare alleles through regular, planned use.

👉 In breeding, it brings back variability to achieve new goals or restore lost traits.
But to succeed, you need:
▶️ Sufficient doses
▶️ Robust genetic records
▶️ Caution to avoid declines in performance

💡 Cryopreservation is not a freezing strategy - it's a foresight strategy.

📖 Full study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jbg.70000

[Focus on Swedish cattle 🐄🐂]Several native Swedish cattle breeds, such as the Fjällko, Rödkulla and Väneko, are under th...
29/07/2025

[Focus on Swedish cattle 🐄🐂]

Several native Swedish cattle breeds, such as the Fjällko, Rödkulla and Väneko, are under threat - and their diversity is invaluable.

For the first time, scientists have sequenced the entire of these endangered Swedish - and discovered more than 22 million genetic variants.

Key findings:
✅ Deep genetic divergence between North and South
✅ Unique traits for coat color, hardiness, adaptation
✅ Valuable genes ignored by standard genotyping.

💡 Whole genome sequencing gives us the tools to protect endangered species.

Read the open-access article here : https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12864-024-09959-9

[📅 Save the Date: ERFP 2025 General Assembly]We're getting together!🗓️ 23 august📍 Innsbruck, AustriaEuropean low populat...
22/07/2025

[📅 Save the Date: ERFP 2025 General Assembly]

We're getting together!

🗓️ 23 august
📍 Innsbruck, Austria

European low population breeds are more than resources - they are a living heritage.
But they are facing increasing threats:
👉 Small effective populations
👉 Limited flow
👉 Loss of local knowledge.

Our general meeting is an opportunity to take stock of the various programmes and ad-hoc actions underway 👍

[🧬 Did you know?]From 2020 to 2025, we supported 16 ad hoc actions, designed jointly by our members to meet strategic ch...
15/07/2025

[🧬 Did you know?]

From 2020 to 2025, we supported 16 ad hoc actions, designed jointly by our members to meet strategic challenges:
🔸 Implement QMS in .
🔸 Recognize the cultural value of transhumance.
🔸 Improve coordination between national programs.

Each action provided practical tools, guidelines and new ideas, strengthening our collective ability to sustainably manage and conserve local .

🌍 Our ambition? To continue working on the future of animal resources
To find out more, visit our website: https://www.animalgeneticresources.net/

15/07/2025

Farm Animal Photo Competition! 🐏
🐴 We invite you to take part in a photo competition by submitting photographs of farm animals — from well-known commercial breeds to rare native breeds. We especially encourage images of farm animals in natural settings — grazing in fields or roaming forest meadows — reflecting their traditional role in the rural landscape.
🐄 For guidance on native breeds, see our recent publication: "First Status Report on the Conservation of Farm Animal Genetic Resources in the Nordics" which includes country-specific lists and additional information.
➡️ https://bit.ly/4lK9EE9
📷 Email your best photo to: [email protected], and include your postal address. Please also let us know if we have permission to use your image in a social media post about the competition (with credit of course). The best photo will receive a secret prize! Deadline: August 13.
P.S. Nordic native dog breeds are also welcome! 🐕..
Fototävling! 🐮
🐷 Du är inbjuden att delta i en fototävling att avbilda lantbruksdjur, välkända kommersiella raser som ovanliga nordiska lantrasdjur. Vi uppmuntrar särskilt bilder av lantbruksdjur i naturliga miljöer — betande på åkrar eller strövande på skogsängar — som återspeglar deras traditionella roll i landsbygdslandskapet. Om du vill veta mer om våra Nordiska lantrasdjur är du välkommen att läsa rapporten ovan.
🏞️ Mejla din bästa bild till [email protected] och glöm inte att ange din postadress. Meddela också om vi får lov att visa din bild i ett inlägg på sociala medier (med din byline såklart). Bästa bilden kommer att belönas med ett hemligt pris!
P.S. Nordiska hundraser kan också dokumenteras! 🐕‍🦺

[ diversity under threat: the case of Hungarian breeds 🐑]📊 A population genomics study highlights a worrying pattern ...
08/07/2025

[ diversity under threat: the case of Hungarian breeds 🐑]

📊 A population genomics study highlights a worrying pattern in four native Hungarian sheep breeds, including the iconic Hortobágyi Racka.

Key findings:
✅ High levels of genomic inbreeding.
✅ Low effective population sizes
✅ Signs of some introgression from Scandinavian breeds and vice versa.

Read the results: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2025.1507315/full

[The Istrian and the coastal Dinaric donkey ]In Croatia, these two local of donkey, once invaluable for work, are no...
01/07/2025

[The Istrian and the coastal Dinaric donkey ]

In Croatia, these two local of donkey, once invaluable for work, are now under threat. Yet they are part of Croatia's , cultural and economic heritage.

👉 The good news is that their milk and meat are of increasing interest, thanks to their nutritional qualities.

🎯 By developing them in other ways, we can create sustainable economic outlets and save them in their natural environments.

💡 This strategy is the key to preserving these local breeds in the long term. And this model could inspire other projects for other animals.

Find out more: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/13/2146

[🧬 How diverse are Mediterranean breeds and why is it important?]At the last Food and Agriculture Organization of the ...
24/06/2025

[🧬 How diverse are Mediterranean breeds and why is it important?]

At the last Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) IWG meeting, the SCALA MEDI team presented new data on the diversity of local chicken and sheep breeds in the Mediterranean region.

🔍 These breeds have a key potential for adaptation, sustainable agriculture and of cultural heritage. Their conservation is a priority for climate-resilient food systems.

🎥 The full presentation is online via the FAO Webcast:
👉 https://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/6898/icode/

[Rediscovering the Forgotten Polish Nadbużańskie Black Cattle 🐄]For over a century, the Nadbużańskie Black Cattle have b...
17/06/2025

[Rediscovering the Forgotten Polish Nadbużańskie Black Cattle 🐄]

For over a century, the Nadbużańskie Black Cattle have been an enigmatic part of Poland’s agricultural history. Once prevalent along the Bug River, these hardy animals were celebrated for their resilience, efficient milk production, and high-quality marbled meat.

Recent research by our team, led by Ewa Sosin, Tomasz Godlewski, Anna Radko, and Magdalena Dziad, has uncovered fascinating historical sources documenting the breed’s unique genetic heritage. As we search for surviving individuals, we are piecing together the story of this lost breed through literature, phenotypic studies, and genetic analyses.

📌 Key Findings So Far:
✔ Recognized in historical records as a distinct breed
✔ Strong genetic ties to ancient European black cattle
✔ Adapted to challenging environmental conditions
✔ Last confirmed evidence in 1968 – could there be survivors ?

🚀 What’s Next?
We are calling on breeders, historians, and cattle enthusiasts to help us locate any remaining Nadbużańskie Black Cattle. If you have any leads, stories, or insights, please reach out! Your contribution could play a vital role in preserving this unique part of Poland’s livestock heritage.

[🧬 Working together for Europe's genetic diversity - ERFP 2025 joint meetings]➡️ On 5 and 6 May, more than 50 experts fr...
10/06/2025

[🧬 Working together for Europe's genetic diversity - ERFP 2025 joint meetings]

➡️ On 5 and 6 May, more than 50 experts from 28 countries met in Athens 🇬🇷 at ELGO-DIMITRA for the ERFP 2025 working group meetings.

Highlights of the meeting included:
- Strategies for better definition and cooperation on transboundary breeds.
- Collaboration with the EU Reference Centre on Endangered Breeds about the definition of rare breeds.
- Case studies on in situ and ex situ

📂 All presentations are now online on our website: https://www.animalgeneticresources.net/index.php/event/erfp-working-groups-joint-meetings/

[ Busha cattle in Croatia 🐂 ]How can the diversity of a small, intensively managed be conserved?Between 1987 and 202...
03/06/2025

[ Busha cattle in Croatia 🐂 ]

How can the diversity of a small, intensively managed be conserved?

Between 1987 and 2022, researchers monitored more than 10,000 Busha cattle in Croatia, the country's most numerous indigenous breed. Their findings? Inbreeding among males slowly increased, reaching 2.07% in the last cohort, due to the repeated use of a limited number of sires.

➡️ The study does not (yet) show a bottleneck, but a clear warning sign: uneven use of breeding animals is reducing the pool.
📌 Genetic management tools must evolve: bull rotation, AI strategies, transnational exchanges?

🔍 This case echoes a wider European issue of managing local breeds with limited numbers.
More information: https://vetarhiv.vef.unizg.hr/paper/test11/

🐑 Latvia's old-type dark-headed (LTV) and resilienceLatvian darkheaded old-type (LTV) sheep - one of Europe's low-po...
27/05/2025

🐑 Latvia's old-type dark-headed (LTV) and resilience

Latvian darkheaded old-type (LTV) sheep - one of Europe's low-population breeds has a great genetic history.

Inbreeding has been reduced to 2.36% in 2020 - a rare victory for genetic conservation - an analysis performed with good data quality (10 generations known)
But this faces a challenge: the effective population size has fallen to just 108 animals.

Since 2015, only 100% pure LTV animals have been accepted into the programme.
💬 How do we manage this compromise between purity and viability?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921448824002098?ssrnid=4887339&dgcid=SSRN_redirect_SD

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