Animal genetic resource (AnGR) diversity contributes in many ways to human survival and well-being.

However, 32% of livestock breeds are threatened. Such an irreversible loss of genetic diversity reduces

opportunities to improve food security, reduce poverty and shift towards sustainable agricultural

practices.

The large number of AnGR at risk in developing countries, together with the limited financial resources

available for conservation, means that economic analysis can play an important role in ensuring an

Economic analysis can play an important role in the sustainable management of animal genetic resources (AnGR). The first report on The State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (first SoW-AnGR) (FAO, 2007a) included a section on methods for economic evaluation 1 that provided an overview of the various types of value that can be distinguished (direct and indirect use values, option values, bequest values and existence values) and described potential methods and tools for assessing them.

The major objectives of this workshop are to sharpen the focus of ILRI's ecoregional research, to further identify commonalities in tools and new methods that can enable ILRI to do effective transregional research, and to identify improvements to the way in which ILRI does ecoregional research.

The current project has sought to assess i) the potential of agricultural biodiversity-focused PES to serve as a cost-effective and socially equitable domesticated diversity conservation incentive scheme, as well as ii) how economic incentive mechanisms such as PES can be designed to build on and complement local institutions of collective action. Results are presented from pilot Payment for Agrobiodiversity Conservation (PACS) schemes and framed field experiments implemented in the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes aimed at sustaining diversity within quinoa, a traditional Andean grain.

Smallholder farmers in Malawi must cope with small farm size, low soil fertility and production risks associated with rainfed agriculture. Integration of legumes into maize-based cropping systems is advocated as a means to increase production of diverse nutrient-dense grains and improve soil fertility. It is difficult to achieve both aims simultaneously, however.

Outlines the main effects of drought on crop producers and examines the effects of drought on crop producers and examines the effects of drought induced livestock losses on crop production and considers a range of policy measures aimed at rehabilitation of the farm sector in the post-drought period; compares alternative policy measures.

Drought is one of the major constraints affecting food security and livelihoods of more than two billion people that reside on dry areas which constitute 41% of the world?s land surface. Drought is defined as deficiency of precipitation over an extended period of time resulting in water scarcity. Our best minds should be concentrated where the greatest challenges lie today – on discoveries and new solutions to cope with the challenges facing dry areas particularly drought and water scarcity.