Participatory assessment of local cattle breeding systems

An innovative thought-provoking study that sets in where earlier research on animal genetic resources and the role of local adapted livestock breeds for smallholder farming in the Tropics still has its deficits: the genuine acknowledgement and appropriate use of local knowledge systems in animal breeding research and development. Seeking solutions that go beyond the conventional technical concerns in improving the sustainability of cattle breeding interventions, the study addresses a range of conceptual as well as methodological requirements of breed development in the Tropics. As part of an interdisciplinary approach that recognizes both, the technical and the social dimensions of animal breeding, the role of organization and institutional aspects are specifically addressed. The description of the participatory assessment of local cattle breeding systems in The Gambia provides a case study example, also demonstrating how the theoretical as well as practical insights gained in this work can be implemented by professionals in collaboration with local breeders.