Government of Switzerland Supports Food Forever Expert on Livestock Genetic Resources

We are grateful to the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) for their growing commitment to Food Forever. Last October, Champion Bernard Lehmann, as Director of FOAG, signed an agreement to fund an expert on livestock genetic resources to support the Initiative’s efforts in raising awareness on the importance of this biodiversity for our food systems.

Just as with plants, a growing number of animal breeds are threatened by extinction – despite the fact that a larger genetic pool will be required for surviving a hotter, harsher planet. According to The Second Report on the State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, some 17 percent (1,458) of the world’s farm animal breeds are currently at risk of extinction, while the risk status of many others (58 percent) is simply unknown due to a lack of data on the size and structure of their populations. Nearly 100 livestock breeds have gone extinct between 2000 and 2014.

It’s time to make a difference.