2.5.2 - Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction | SDG Indicators Data Portal | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Indicator 2.5.2 - Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction

This indicator presents the percentage of local livestock breeds among local breeds with known risk status classified as being at risk of extinctions at a certain moment in time, as well as the trends for this percentage. The indicator will measure progress towards SDG Target 2.5.

Target 2.5

By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed.

Indicator 2.5.2: Progress Assessment

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Impact

Information collected for this indicator is key to safeguard precious animal varieties and support the livelihood of the world's population with sufficient, diverse and nutritious diets long into the future.

Key results

The proportion of farmed and domesticated animal breeds at risk of extinction remains worryingly high. Furthermore, the limited availability of data hinders complete understanding of the seriousness of the issue for the majority of breeds.

In situ, the risk status of 62 percent of local breeds remains unknown, while 70 percent of local breeds with a known status are at risk of extinction. Where the reporting status allows for presenting regional results, the proportion of endangered local breeds was as high as 82 percent in Northern America and Europe in 2023. It is therefore critical that countries expend greater efforts to collect the data needed to accurately infer the risk of extinction.