Using lessons from the dairy producers, goat farmers are urged to maintain genetic diversity in their herds, rather than breed for production-specific traits. By not doing so, animals may become ill-equipped to adapt to changing conditions or fight new diseases. The United Nations is so concerned that more than 100 countries are already signed up to monitor genealogies and changing breeding objectives.
Source: Countryside Magazine, August 28, 2017.
Pierre Taberlet recommends to protect the wild ancestor and restore the diversity within industrial breeds. He urges schemes to market products from lower yielding breeds with prices to reflect the costs of production. He warns, “If we lose the genetic resources now, they may be gone forever.”
INSIGHTS: We were surprised to find this level of concern on a global basis. Modern American goats have been greatly improved for yield so the same loss of diversity will apply and may be a challenge to rectify.