Outreach, society, policy

Assessing the need for a new Global of Action for Animal Genetic Resources

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Abstract

The genetic diversity of the world's animal genetic resources (AnGR) is a global public good that merits international cooperation for its optimal management to benefit humankind. In the early 2000s, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) undertook a global assessment of the state of the world's AnGR and the capacity of member nations in their management. This assessment revealed that the diversity of AnGR was decreasing and that many countries lacked the knowledge, tools and resources to sustainably use and conserve their AnGR. To build a policy framework to address these shortcomings, the member nations of FAO developed the Global Plan of Action for Genetic Resources (GPA), which was adopted in 2007. The GPA is based on 27 strategic priorities with specific actions that address (i) characterization and monitoring; (ii) sustainable use; (iii) conservation; and (iv) policies, institutions and capacity building for AnGR. Countries bear the main responsibility for implementation of the GPA, with the support of international cooperation. The GPA was designed to be a rolling plan, with regular monitoring by FAO and the opportunity for revision or rewriting every ten years. A second global assessment revealed slow but steady implementation of the GPA and FAO member countries reaffirmed its continued importance and relevance in 2017, without making modifications. In 2024, FAO launched a new global assessment, which included an inquiry that addressed priorities for a potential new or revised GPA. A total of 112 out of 194 FAO member countries participated in the assessment, 57 of which made suggestions for priority actions. This result implied that about half of the responding countries are satisfied with the current GPA, as is. However, preliminary analysis also showed that progress in implementing the GPA has largely stagnated in the past five years, with particular declines in both collaboration and funding, perhaps indicating a need for an updating process solely to raise awareness and revitalize implementation, even in these countries. Approximately 25 issues were identified for new priorities or actions or increased emphasis within the existing framework. The most commonly cited issues were climate change, gene-banking, funding and new technologies, as they relate to management of AnGR. Decisions regarding the way forward will be made by the upcoming session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the permanent intergovernmental body of FAO that aims to achieve international consensus on policies for the sustainable use and conservation of genetic resources for food and agriculture, which will be held in 2027.

Keywords: 2026

How to Cite:

Boettcher, P., Leroy, G., Baumung, R. & Besbes, B., (2026) “Assessing the need for a new Global of Action for Animal Genetic Resources”, World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Digital Archive 2026(1): 2286535. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.24040

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