Current status of the Animal Germplasm Bank in Colombia: organization and management

Abstract

During the last two decades, Colombia has made enormous progress in conserving some of the most relevant zoogenetic resources vital for agricultural production and the food industry. The primary purpose of conserving these local animal genetic resources has been the recovery of these animal breeds (cattle, pigs, and sheep) that presented a high risk of disappearance and therefore establish pure animal collections that allow the researchers to develop conservation programs. Nowadays, these collections are funded by the Colombian government and properly conserved in research centres in AGROSAVIA under in vivo and in vitro conservation systems. The main objective of conserving the local herds has been to maintain the genetic variability of the creole breeds and also generate strategies to strengthen the conservation, characterization and their promotion and use, always considering initiatives that lead to the increase of animal productivity and bearing in mind the threats that creole breeds are facing, such as the intensification of the agricultural production systems, the effects of climate change, and the high maintenance costs incurred by the Animal Germplasm Bank in Colombia. The success of the conservation of animal genetic resources in Colombia will depend to a great extent on the appropriation and acceptance of Colombian farmers for the insertion of these creole breeds in their agricultural production systems. On the other hand, the Animal Germplasm Bank should incorporate in a short period time other species or breeds currently at a high risk of disappearing and important for the agricultural system.