Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction in Europe

Genetic diversity of livestock is crucial for food security, human health and the adaptation of species and ecosystems to environmental change. Livestock diversity results from breed domestication and diversification, processes that have unfolded over centuries or millennia of genetic changes.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) defines local breeds as those unique to a single country. These breeds are adapted to local conditions and provide a range of ecosystem services. However, local breeds face several threats. Agricultural intensification has led to the introduction of a small number of high-performing, specialised international breeds. This trend, coupled with the demands of intensive, industrialised livestock farming and global economic development, has led to a decline in local breed populations.

In recent decades, the importance of local breeds has gained recognition at the policy level, prompting enhanced efforts to classify and monitor their status. Currently the proportion of local breeds at risk of extinction is an indicator for several targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Owing to increased monitoring and reporting, the number of local breeds classified with known risk status in the EU-27 has doubled between 2000 and 2024.

The conservation of local breeds is important for several reasons. It preserves genetic diversity for the future and maintains important cultural connections between people and livestock. Breeds that are tolerant of extreme temperatures or resistant to pests and diseases play a vital role in climate change adaptation. Local breeds can help preserve traditional landscapes, which often serve as biodiversity hotspots. Products from local breeds are frequently of high quality and can be sold as more profitable niche products, compensating producers for their conservation efforts.

Despite a slight decrease in the number of breeds classified “at risk” since 2020, the extinction risk for local breeds in the EU remains very high (Figure 1). In 2024, 234 local breeds were reported as extinct, and over 80% of local breeds of cattle, sheep, goats and poultry with known status were reported as at risk of extinction. The status of 22% remains unknown.

This highlights the critical need for enhanced conservation of local livestock breeds in Europe. Coordinated policy action, targeted conservation measures, improved monitoring, research, and greater public awareness are essential.

In 2024, the majority of local breed species across EEA-38 member countries were classified as at risk. 90% or more of local breeds with known status are at risk of extinction in Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, and Montenegro. Data availability on the status of local breeds remains limited in several countries. Luxembourg, Romania, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia report that 100% of their local breeds have an unknown status. Only seven countries (Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, Iceland, Switzerland, and Türkiye) report that more than 25% of local breeds with known status are not at risk.

The European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic Resources (ERFP) and the recently established European Reference Centre for Endangered Animal Breeds support the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in Europe. They also support developing and harmonising methods used to preserve endangered breeds and their genetic diversity across Europe.