In small pockets across Australia you’ll find the breeds we left behind: sheep from the First Fleet, chooks whose genetic lines date back hundreds of years and big fat pigs that grow too slowly.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has embarked on a conservation program for rare animal genetic resources. Australia is a signatory.
‘We don’t know what is held within these genetics,’ says Christine Ross, a passionate breeder maintaining rare and heritage breeds.
Anne Sim, the managing director of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia , says there are dozens of fanciers and hobby farmers across the country breeding rare species of pigs, cows, poultry and horses in an effort to preserve these genes. The trust, a volunteer organisation, has around 150 members and deals with sheep, goats, cattle, pigs and poultry.
‘Some of these rare breeds have valuable characteristics such as disease resistance, extreme climate tolerance, high milk production and other traits that are crucial for food security and sustainability’, continued Sim.
Heather Burrow, the director of research partnerships and innovations at the Institute for Rural Futures, agrees that conserving animals is important to guard against climate changes and disease. ‘Rare breeds, whether they’re plants or animals, provide an insurance policy in case of natural disasters, or particular diseases,’ she says.
Re-post of Hobby farmers with heritage breeds could play vital role in food security | Radio National Bush Telegraph
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