Tackling the future challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry - vTI

RAHMANN G & GODINHO D (Ed.) (2012): Tackling the Future Challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry.
Proceedings of the 2 nd OAHC, Hamburg/Trenthorst, Germany, Sep 12-14, 2012
Breeds and breeding strategies for sustainable and
organic production from livestock and poultry
DEVINDER KUMAR SADANA
Animal Genetic Resources Division, National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources,
Karnal 132 001, India. http://www.nbagr.res.in/ eMail: sadana.dk@gmail.com
Abstract
One major input to organic production from livestock is the choice of the breed or strain of livestock.
Local strains (not defined as a breed yet), in general, are more amenable to organic production
as these do not depend on support from external resources and are, by default, more
sustainable as well. In addition to organic production of milk and meat, the by-products like dung
and urine are superior as organic bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticide for the soil to produce organic
forage and feeds. Recent attempts at surveying the local breeds and strains of livestock in India
revealed the presence of undisturbed organic production systems which are continuing and have
the innate capacity to sustain by themselves e.g. Banni buffalo and Nari cattle. While transition of
conventional system to organic is under active consideration, a planned support is also needed for
maintenance/continuation of the organic production systems represented by livestock strains notably
in the developing countries.
Key words: Breed, Defined-population, Organic-by-default, Buffalo, Case-studies, Survey
Introduction
In the developing countries, and the countries in transition, the livestock are easily classified into
four categories: breed animals, strains (uniform population but not yet defined as a breed), synthetic
populations including crossbreds, and all the rest; the last group is often termed as ‘non-descript’.
Breeding strategies that would enhance organic system in each of these categories would be different.
Based on a long-term survey of breeds/strains, this paper highlights the case for livestock
strains vis-à-vis livestock breeds in following organic production system and avenues to maintaining
such organic systems as a natural recourse.
Material and Methodology
Recently there has been an upsurge in the study of livestock breeds and strains in terms of field survey
and documentation. This has also been prompted by the FAO of the United Nations by way of
preparing a comprehensive ‘State of the World Animal Genetic Resources’ [FAO, 2007a] whereby
many individual countries prepared their respective ‘Country Report on Animal Genetic Resources’
[AnGR]. Several of the Country Reports made a mention of organic animal husbandry practices
being followed for the local livestock (FAO, 2007b). Preparation of India’s Country Report on
AnGR (FAO, 2007c) also prompted field survey of livestock populations that appeared to be uniform
and located in defined geographic regions. Some case studies of such field surveys were conducted
during 2002-2009. Only the case studies that belong to strains and do not belong to defined
breeds have been dealt in this paper. Compared to defined breeds, these cases are loosely termed as
Strains or Defined Populations or, sometimes, as ‘Lesser known Breeds’.
As per FAO, a Breed by definition is a sub-specific group of domestic livestock with definable and
identifiable external characteristics that enable it to be separated by visual appraisal from other similarly
defined groups within the same species or a group for which geographical and/or cultural
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