Animal Genetic Resources

Abstract

In the early 1990s, FAO formulated and proposed the MoDAD (Measurement of Domestic Animal Diversity) initiative to use DNA markers to genetically characterize and quantify the diversity of breeds from the world's major livestock species, to contribute to the design of cost-effective management programmes for animal genetic resources (AnGR). The proposal helped prompt individual countries to begin to apply the ideas of MoDAD. Since that time, continual efforts have been made t o improve the global coordination of molecular characterization studies.