SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME PRIORITY 8: Policy-Oriented Research SPECIFIC TARGETED RESEARCH PROJECT n°SSPE-CT-2004-503604 Impact of Environmental Agreements on the CAP Document number: MEACAP WP5 Case study on genetic resources Dissemination level: non-public Case study on genetic resources in food and agriculture Author: Nitsch H. Author’s Organisation: Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL) Date: Sept. 2006 “This document presents results obtained within the EU project SSPE-CT-2004-503604 ‘Impact of Environmental Agreements on the CAP’ (http://www.ieep.org.uk/projectMiniSites/meacap/index.php). It does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission and in no way anticipates the European Union’s future policy in this area.” 1 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................... 3 2 OVERVIEW ON MEASURES FOR ON-FARM CONSERVATION OF GENETIC RESOURCES IN THE EU .......................................................................... 9 2.1 ASSESSMENT OF AGRI -ENVIRONMENT MEASURES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF GENETIC RESOURCES IN EU-15....................................................................................... 9 2.2 OVERVIEW ON THE SITUATION IN EU-10 ........................................................... 11 3 ENGLAND ............................................................................................................ 13 3.1 ACTORS FOR THE CONSERVATION OF CROP AND LIVESTOCK GENETIC RESOURCES 13 3.2 ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES ........................................................................... 14 3.3 CONSERVATION OF PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES ................................................ 16 4 CONSERVATION OF CROP AND LIVESTOCK GENETIC RESOURCES IN GERMANY................................................................................................................... 17 4.1 INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS.................................................................................. 17 4.2 ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES .......................................................................... 19 4.3 PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES .............................................................................. 24 4.4 FUTURE MEASURES ........................................................................................... 28 5 POLAND ............................................................................................................... 29 5.1 SITUATION OF AGRICULTURE AND INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED IN THE CONSERVATION OF GENETIC RESOURCES ............................................................................................... 29 5.2 CONSERVATION OF ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES :............................................. 32 5.3 CONSERVATION OF PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES ................................................ 33 6 ITALY ................................................................................................................... 35 7 RESUMEE ............................................................................................................ 37 7.1 SUMMARY OF CASE STUDIES ............................................................................. 37 7.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................... 38 REFERENCES AND LEGISLATION:....................................................................... 43 ABBREVIATIONS....................................................................................................... 45 ANNEX 1: EU MONITORING DATA FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES – AEM FOR THE SUPPORT OF LIVESTOCK GENETIC RESOURCES IN 2003 ................................................................................................. 46 ANNEX 2: AGRI-ENVIRONMENT MEASURES FOR RARE BREEDS IN GERMANY................................................................................................................... 47 2 1 Introduction As genetic diversity of crops and domestic animals used in agriculture is part of the wider genetic diversity and referred to in the CBD, this issue is to be addressed within WP5 of the MEACAP project as Task 5.2., which involves ‘an examination of the measures required for the maintenance and sustainable use of livestock and plant genetic resources’. The conservation of genetic resources might be less connected directly with land use, a meeting point for the different workpackages of the project, still, maintenance of marginal grassland can be dependent on being grazed by breeds, adapted to this kind of management and to specific conditions of the respective area. Organic farming relies on breeds and crops that can cope with less intensive methods of production. In general, a concentration on only few breeds or crop varieties can increase the vulnerability of agriculture. As especially in marginal areas with traditional land management old breeds and crop varieties have survived and giving up of these practices or abandonment of land will further diminish genetic diversity. Member States have obligations to conserve genetic diversity, and there are different measures that can be taken to fulfil these commitments. Aim of the case study is to analyse national strategies regarding the conservation of genetic resources in food and agriculture. At the beginning, a short overview will be given on international guidelines concerning genetic resources, on legislative obstacles and on the situation and measures taken by the EU-15 and EU-10 to protect crop and livestock genetic diversity (information about the EU-10 is derived from the questionnaires, which have been answered by subcontractors in the course of the MEACAP project). In the second and central part England, Germany and Poland will be considered as examples, and their programmes and measures for maintaining genetic diversity will be presented. For Italy only some examples for support of genetic resources could be found. These will be included as well, because of the importance of an approach to combine marketing of food with conservation of biodiversity. The most important common problems and measures of the case study areas will be highlighted in the summary, and resulting recommendations for the conservation of crop and livestock genetic resources will be given. For this case study, not the overall biodiversity connected to the agricultural area, but only livestock and crop genetic resources are taken into account. As well the report does not deal with genetic modification of plants and animals. Importance of genetic diversity There seems to be broad consensus, that global losses of genetic resources for food and agriculture have been substantial over the last 100 years (OECD, 2001). With over 2,500 breeds registered in the FAO breeds’ database, Europe harbours almost half of the world’s recorded domestic livestock diversity. Lack of economic competitiveness and abandonment of pastures lead to almost 50% of all European livestock breeds being 3 extinct or having endangered or critical status (EEA, 2006a). The loss of plant genetic resources is poorly documented (Virchow, 1999), but it is obvious that a concentration on fewer crops and cultivars can be observed. Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture comprise the diversity of genetic material contained in traditional varieties and modern cultivars, as well as crop wild relatives and other wild plant species that can be used now or in the future for food and agriculture. Major forces for the loss of plant genetic resources can be seen in the standardisation of the production process, the consumer preferences, technological change (e.g. breeding, Genetically Modified Organisms) as well as international competition. Modern breeding methods and recent advances in genetic improvement have helped to increase agricultural productivity, but concerns have been raised about risks posed through pests and diseases because of the short term strategy of relying on relatively few breeds or varieties (OECD, 2001). Only in few, predominantly marginal areas, old livestock breeds or crops are still being used within traditional management. On the other hand, hobby breeders are more and more becoming the main actors for the conservation of rare breeds. Plant and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture are the biological basis of world food security. Apart from their potential economic importance (contributing with specific qualities to breeding programmes or producing quality meat for niche markets), local or regional breeds and varieties can be of ecologic importance, as they might be adapted to specific ecologic conditions (e.g. transhumance, landscape management in marginal areas that depend on grazing; breeds that cope better with conditions in organic agriculture or in extensive cultivation than high-performance breeds). New developments, e.g. increased cultivation of crops for the production of biomass as energy, or demands resulting from climate change (e.g. drought resistant crops and breeds) might rely on species, that are of little economic value today. Besides, rare breeds and crops constitute a cultural and heritage and are an important part of regional identity. Apart from contributing to production they can play a part in conservation, tourism and leisure activities. International guidelines Conservation of genetic resources in agriculture is addressed through several international guidelines. Though the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) is rather undefined in the area of conservation of genetic resources in food