Conservation of Farm Animal Genetic Resources: Current policies and post-Brexit options – Policy Brief

There are currently a range of high-level policies and interventions which aim to mitigate and adapt to long term consequences of environmental change. One aspect of mitigation and adaptation is access to and promotion of genetic diversity within agricultural crops and farmed livestock. Access to genetic resources, and more specifically, databases around genetic potential for exploitation raise important issues around public welfare against private needs and rights.

This policy brief, written by colleagues at SRUC and Animal Breeding Europe Ltd, reviews policies on conservation of genetic resources and potential policy impacts post-brexit, and it is found that the UK’s response in terms of policies encouraging the conservation of Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) has been lacking. The full report can be downloaded below, and any questions or comments get in touch with us via our contact pages, or email Alyson Baratt (alyson.baratt@sruc.ac.uk) or George Peart (george@abreeds.co.uk)

Conservation of Farm Animal Genetic Resources: Current policies and post-Brexit options

This work was funded under the Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme under the Rural Industries work package, specifically the ‘Protecting Genetic Diversity’ (RD 2.3.2) work stream.