Narrator: When a country is hit by a disease as deadly as foot and mouth, what can it do to make sure the genetic diversity of its farm animals is not lost for ever.

What international obligations do we have to make sure that we're doing our bit to preserve biodiversity on our farms.

Prof. Geoff Simm SAC Chair, National Steering Committee for FAnGR: There are really four main reasons that we need to be interested in this. The first is that the food industry is a big industry in the UK and as far as livestock products are concerned, at the start of the food chain is the choice of the right breeds or crosses to use in the production of livestock products.

So having excellent genetic resources available is essential to the future success of the UK food industry.

Secondly we have a huge cultural heritage living in the many breeds of livestock that surround us in the UK. About 200 years ago Britain was at the forefront of developing new breeds of livestock to help feed a growing population in Britain and around the world.

Thirdly we have international obligations to protect our animal genetic resources. The UK's a signatory to the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity and we are therefore obliged to look after our biodiversity, which includes farm animals.

And fourthly there are growing conflicts between some of our intentions to protect animal health for instance, on the one hand and the risk to our farm animal genetic resources. For instance, during the foot and mouth crisis many of our rare and traditional breeds were at additional risk and likewise in the eradication of scrapie some of our rare and traditional breeds are particularly at risk because they don't have the favourable resistant gena type which is in demand at the moment.

So they're the four main reasons that we need to look after our genetic resources.

Prof. Patrick Cunningham, Trinity College, Dublin former Animal Production, FAO: Britian has the reputation of being the stud farmer of the world. And effectively you find British breeds everywhere that the world was painted red at one time. So as a kind of risidue of Empire, British breeds have been spread around the world and have proved very effective, particularly in temperate climates, in South America, in Australia, in North America and so on. But in addition to that there's been, I think, an appreciation of the value of these rare breeds in Britain that we don't find in many other countries or that's only beginning to be awakened in other countries. So there's a depth of experience, a breadth of local breeds, that gives Britain a position, a leading position globally in this.

Narrator: In order to make sure that the UK is able to gather its expertise a national steering commitee has been set up. Its first task is to collect information.

Mike Roper, Defra, UK National Co-ordinator for FAnGR: My role as UK National Co-ordinator for Farm Animal Genetic Resources is to co-ordinate all the activities within the UK to conserve our native breeds and also to look strategically at how these breeds and all the genetic resources we have in this country are utlilised in our farming systems as they develop and evolve.

Prof. Geoff Simm SAC Chair, National Steering Committee for FAnGR: This initiative that we're spearheading through the national steering committee is really all about trying to join up different organisations with an interest in farm animal genetic resources.

We're keen to promote better identification and monitoring of what we've got out there. Characterising all of our genetic resources, not just traditional and rare breeds but our mainstream breeds as well. Getting to know how many there are, where they are, what backups we've got in terms of semen and embryos and what they have to offer the industry now and in the future, their biological characteristics.

So much of that information exists already out there with various stakeholders in the industry, we want to see a better joining up and a filling in of the gaps where they exist so we have a much more complete picture of what we have in the UK. I think one of the lessons from the foot and mouth disease crisis was that we knew relatively little about what backup was in place, should a particular breed be a particular risk and we never want to be in that situation again.

Narrator: In order to make this approach a success, a national action plan will be needed with backing from Government, the voluntary sector and agricultural businesses such as the breeding companies.

Graham Plastow, Sygen International: I think the idea of a national action plan has some attraction. Of course I'm a little bit concerned about the tensions it may cause between setting a strict policy and allowing companies to manage their resources. But I think there are enough areas where the goal is the same, to manage the genetic health of the populations that we have and therefore there must be a common ground that we can work together on and be successful together.

I think taking a long term view is absolutely essentail in genetics and having that genetic compnent represented is very important. We've seen in the national scrapie plan a desire, a very worthwhile desire to eliminate some of the genes in the herd but not necessarily taking into account the overall genetic plan for the breeds.

Narrator: It's that ability to monitor and co-ordinate which the government is being asked to undertake as the plan is formed.

Peter Baber, Chairman, National Sheep Association: I think it's vital that Defra step in and monitor and co-ordinate and take a co-ordinating role and leadership in conserving this genetic material. It's available now, in some breeds and in some situations it may not be available for much longer. So I think it's vital that they start action as soon as possible to conserve this valuable resource for the future.

Defra's role in all this is one of co-ordination principally. There are a whole plethora of organisations, species associations and non-governmental organisations that are involved in different aspects of the conservation and management of these resources. But it became evident particularly during foot and mouth disease that there was a need for central co-ordination of the activities particularly in relation to conservation.

So we see our role of being one of co-ordination and operating through this national steering committee on which there sit eminent geneticists, the species organisations representing the sheep industry, the cattle industry, the pigs, goats and equines. We also have represntation for thosethat interested in the poultry sector so that is a very valuable forum through which we can perform our co-ordination activity. But the actual implementation of the plan will of course be down to those organisations and individual breeders that are involved in maintaining and conserving the rich diversity that we have in our national populations of breeds.

Narrator: It's not just red meat animals which will also be included in the plan. Poultry genetics will also receive attention.

Mike Roper, Defra, UK National Co-ordinator for FAnGR: When we compiled the UK country report for farm animals genetic resources in 2002 it became evident that we had something like 241 different breeds of poultry and it's become evident that we need to take an interest in these breeds. We are obviously interested in the native sector within that community and they we feel have a particular role to play in some of the for example, organic systems and free range systems that are evolving and developing within that sector and so we need to pay particular attention to monitoring these breeds whch are also of value to the rural economy.

Narrator: But the national action plan is not just about rare breeds because there are warning signs that effect the most populous of breeds. In the dairy sector for example.

Prof. Patrick Cunningham, Trinity College, Dublin former Animal Production, FAO: I think that its true to say that in general, dairy cattle today, the world is dominated by Holstien Fresian. We in a sense put all our money on one breed and in the long term that may well be dangerous. In fact, I mean it's well known for dairy farmers today one of the problems with the Holstien is declining fertility. Now we're not quite sure exactly why that's happening it's undoubtedly has something to do with the very intense specialised selection pressure that's been applied, very effectively I should say. I mean they're high performing milk producers. But we pay a price for that, that specialisation and the narrowing of the population through the global concentration on a few highly selected lines and all of that's leading to declining fertility and other aspects of hardiness in a way are suffering. Cows last a shorter time in the herd, calf mortality tends to increase.

Narrator: The ability of certain breeds to thrive in challenging local conditions has been noted. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust has been involved in conservation for around 30 years.

Lawrence Alderson, Chairman, Rare Breads Survival Trust: One of the things that really matters is local adaptation. How much each of our native breeds has adapted to its own locality, its area of origin. If we lose that we lose a vast amount of the value of our genetics. So when I talk about local adaptation I'm probably including virtually every native breed because each one evolved in a particular area. Biodiversity is a difficult subject and certainly government, when they talk about biodiversity talk about the wider ecology of plants and wild animals. But we have to be careful when we are so narrow in our approach, because livestock has evolved in this country for a long, long time. It is part of the natural diversity.

Narrator: Farmers now realise that their success is dependent on relating to the consumer. Some supermarkets are working with farmers to promote traditional breeds.

Heather Jenkins, Head of Buying, Waitrose: I think the biggest opportunity going forward is to get support for developing the breeds and particularly performance. I think that Waitrose have helped to put the native breeds back on the map. There's no question of that. But the last 15 years have been spent trying to improve the breeds and we can't go over the next 15 years and go at the same pace. We've got to do it much faster, much more effectively. Then I think that British beef can compete in the future.

Narrator: There's an awareness that diversity is still required despite the emphasis on standardised specifications.

Graham Plastow, Sygen International: There's always a tension between the, if you like, the standardisation that supermarkets or retailers demand now. They want a consistent product. But of course genetic improvement is very much about variation. So the, what we try to do is, farmers and producers can manage the variability to an extent. So for example we can minimise the numbers of sires that are used to produce the commercial pig for harvest . And in that way produce a more consistent product. But actually to make improvement you want variation and again that's another reason why proper management of genetic resources is required to be able to make that improvement.

The important point is really to make sure that there is the variation you'll need for future markets. And I think that's one of the most important reasons for maintaining the range of animal genetic reources that we have both in th UK and around the world.

Narrator: So the national plan has to be seen as inclusive for all those involved in the UK livestock industry.

Lawrence Alderson, Chairman, Rare Breads Survival Trust: I think the most important aspiration for the national plan is that the different aspects, the different segments of the livestock industry do come together under one umbrella not administratively but philosophically because I think that we have, because of the fragmentation that's happened previously, it is important for everybody to pull together. It enables an on-going plan which encompasses all our genetic resources. And that's the most important thing, for all of us to pull together. Conservation of our national livestock.

Narrator: The national plan is being developed during a time of change in the livestock industry.

Prof. Geoff Simm SAC Chair, National Steering Committee for FAnGR: The face of agriculture is changing. There's a much greater emphasis on protecting and enhancing the environment for instance. And on producing local and speciality products in at least one small sector of the market. This creates new opportunities. In the environment for instance, amny of the breeds we see around us today shape the environment that's out there. And if we know a little bit more about the attributes of each breed and what they can offer in enhancing the environment then that can help those who have to make the decisions about which breed to use for a particular purpose.

Likewise with a growing interest in regional production of food and speciality foods, many of the breeds that are today rare, were in fact popular at one time for exactly that reason. And there's an oppurtunity for them to regain popularity at least on a local scale in producing speciality livestock produce.

Narrator: The different traits which farmers are looking for, should become easier to recognise through the work of the national steering committee.

Peter Baber, Chairman, National Sheep Association: I think a good example of where some breeds are already beginning to exhibit traits which might be useful in the future is the move, and there's a lot of people talking currently about the move, towards an easier care or a lower maintenance, lower input type sheep system. And there are many breeds available today whcih exhibit those traits. So they are already being looked at with a great deal of interest. And in future there may be other traits which become important, which may be found in other breeds.

Narrator: Full industry-wide support will be needed for this process.

Heather Jenkins, Head of Buying, Waitrose: I think that the shear fact that Waitrose have supported native breeds not just in beef terms but in other species and pulling through the benefits to the consumer from a point of view of protecting the national heritage. Using breeds that fit with the environment, fit with the climate. It's no mistake that they were developed for that reason in the past and I think that bringing that quality taste to our customers has to be the right decision.

Prof. Patrick Cunningham, Trinity College, Dublin former Animal Production, FAO: We would be betraying future generations I think if we allow everything that we've inherited to simply be steam-rolled out of existence by the ecomomic pressures of today. The cost of maintaining these breeds is not very great. Now whether there's going to be an economic pay-off in terms of widespread use of them again in the future, we don't know. There's no way of guaranteeing that but the point is that we should hand on to the next generation reasonably in-tact, what we have inherited.

Narrator: The national action plan for farm animal genetic resources is about to be launched. If you're involved with UK livestock, you have a role to play in its success. Together we can build on our heritage and conserve the best traits for the future of our industry.

Graham Plastow, Sygen International: The ability to have a long-term plan, a strategy about genetics that's important. If we don't do that we'll find ourselves not having the type of genetics, not having the animals, or the animals that will meet the production systems that we want to satisfy the policy goals of the government. If we think of sustainable farming as what we need for the future, reducing the environmental footprint, we need to be sure we have the right genetics to satisfy those needs in the future. That's why I think this action plan is such a good idea.

Mike Roper, Defra, UK National Co-ordinator for FAnGR: As we develop this national action plan. We shall depend very heavily on the goodwill of animal breeders in providing us through their breed societies or through the non-governmental organisations with data on their breeds. We need to monitor what's going on in the various populations. Whether those breeds are increasing or declining in number. And in order to properly monitor what is going on in terms of genetic diversity within those breeds we need to have that data collated and co-ordinated into a central database.

Prof. Geoff Simm SAC Chair, National Steering Committee for FAnGR: If we look over the last 50 years or so there's been a radical change in the make-up of the breeds we have in our sheep, and beef, and dairy, and pig and poultry industries. These industries have changed out of all recognition, in terms of their breed make-up. And it's vital really that we've got access to different breeds of cattle and sheep, pigs and poultry in order to help us meet future market demands. We can't predict precisely what the future market demands will be. Having access to a wide range of genetic resources, knowing what they have to offer is really a vital defence in our armoury against fluctuating market needs.

Defra would like to thank all those who have contributed to this programme.

Defra. Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

Crown Copyright 2006.