Invisible Guardians: Women manage livestock diversity Women are
main guardians of crucial livestock diversity New study argues
that to succeed, breed conservation efforts must empower women
Women livestock keepers worldwide must be recognized as the
major actors in efforts to arrest the decline of indigenous
breeds, crucial for rural food security and animal genetics, a
new FAO study argues. Yet women's contribution to indigenous
livestock breeding and conservation is poorly documented and
undervalued, the study Invisible Guardians: Women manage
livestock diversity says. Of the 600 million poor livestock
keepers in the world, around two-thirds are women, whose men
often have migrated to the cities. Women stay at home with the
children and live by cultivating crops and keeping indigenous
smallstock such as chickens or goats, and perhaps a cow.
Indigenous breeds are adapted to often harsh local conditions,
are disease resistent, thrive on easy to obtain local fodder or
forage and generally take care of themselv