The State of the World survey of animal genetic resources (SoWAnGR) has highlighted the necessity to reconcile the varying systems applied by different organisations for the identification and categorisation of endangered breeds of livestock. Currently, many of these systems are irreconcilable. In particular, there is a need to interpret national breed populations in the context of their international population. Rare Breeds International has developed and applied a system which overcomes these problems, and which coincides with criteria applied by FAO. The system utilises three criteria, namely distinctiveness, local adaptation, and numerical scarcity. Numerical scarcity is measured preferentially by the number of annual female registrations rather than the number of breeding females. The system embodies simplicity, accuracy and effectiveness, based on global data, and will enable more effective interpretation of SoWAnGR reports.
