2.5.1.b - Number of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured | SDG Indicators Data Portal | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Indicator 2.5.1.b - Number of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in medium or long term conservation facilities

The conservation of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture in medium or long term conservation facilities (ex situ in genebanks) represents the most trusted means of conserving genetic resources worldwide. This indicator will measure progress towards 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 2.5.1b: Progress Assessment

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Impact

The measure of trends in ex situ conserved materials provides an overall assessment of the extent to which we are managing to maintain and/or increase the total genetic diversity available for future use and thus protect it from any permanent loss of genetic diversity which may occur on-farm and in the natural habitat.

This information is key to support the livelihood of the world's population with sufficient, diverse and nutritious diets long into the future.

Key results

Increased efforts are needed to preserve the genetic diversity of farmed and domestic animals, to bolster the resilience of agrifood systems facing increasingly frequent challenges due to the climate crisis.

As of December 2024, for in vitro ex situ conservation, sufficient material is stored for only 365 out of 7 809 local breeds (5 percent), and 194 out of 1 126 transboundary breeds (17 percent), reflecting only a marginal increase from 4 percent and 14 percent in the year 2022, respectively.

Given that the number of endangered local breeds is unlikely to decrease significantly in the near future, countries need to strengthen efforts to store genetic material in sufficient quantities. Currently, the number of local breeds that have sufficient material is alarmingly low. In Europe, sufficient material is reported for 190 local and 77 transboundary breeds (6 and 11 percent, respectively), while this is the case for 133 local and 58 transboundary breeds (6 and 15 percent, respectively) in Asia, and only 21 local and 31 transboundary breeds (2 and 8 percent, respectively) in Africa. In Oceania, there are no local breeds and 10 transboundary breeds (3.44 percent) with sufficient genetic material stored for reconstitution. The number remains also low in the Americas, with 21 local and 87 transboundary breeds (2.94 and 18.71 percent, respectively).