With the reappearance of
World Animal Review in a trilingual form, biotechnology is reviewed, following earlier articles published on biotechnology, embryo transfer and open nucleus herds.
This issue deals with transgenic animals - a subject that has received much publicity elsewhere. The FAO Rome and regional consultations in Havana, Bangkok and Beijing on biotechnology are recalled together with some of the subsequent developments, such as the preparation of an experimental thermostable rinderpest vaccine and cloning daughter cells to produce calves. The role of FAO in initiating regional animal gene banks in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean is seen as a means of preventing useful domestic animal genetic resources from disappearing. The need to ensure that small farmers and the landless as well as women who tend livestock benefit from biotechnology is emphasized.
World Animal Review, reappearing in 1991 as a trilingual version after a period of gestation caused by limited resources. returns in this issue to the subject of biotechnology, initially covered in 1986 by Hodges (Wld Anim. Rev., 56: 2-10). In previous issues in 1987 by Wagner (Wld Anim. Rev., 64: 2-11) and in 1988 by Smith (Wld Anim. Rev., 65: 2-10) embryo transfer and open nucleus herds were discussed respectively. Both these topics are considered to be vectors, means that can he used to introduce biotechnology achievements in animal production.
The article on transgenic animals in this issue goes a stage further in assessing what biotechnology can do for term animals. There has been much speculation in the press on the future of transgenic animals and readers will now have an opportunity to take a close look at the steps taken to produce a transgenic farm animal. The FAO Animal Production and Health Division, following the October 1986 FAO Global Expert Consultation on Biotechnology, Animal Production and Health, organized a regional consultation for Latin America and the Caribbean in Havana in 1988, as well as a regional workshop for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok on the same theme in that year. The 1989 meeting in Beijing on biotechnology in a global setting provided an opportunity to review and consolidate. Networks in the two regions are helping to support and harness efforts at the national level.
Developments are beginning to emerge. Recently the thermostable rinderpest vaccine proposed during the 1986 Expert Consultation was genetically engineered and is under initial testing procedures by Professor T. Yilma of the University of California. More penside-type ELISA test kits have been produced by the FAO/IAEA Joint Division at the Seibersdorf Laboratories near Vienna for use in developing countries. In Europe and North America, major achievements have been reported commercially in cloning daughter cells to produce calves. However, this new technology in animal production may mean that developing countries will have to pay patent fees with the advent of patents for newly produced animal types.
An associated area in which biotechnology will undoubtedly play a role is that of conservation of animal genetic resources. Animal gene banks have now been set up with FAO assistance in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and in Latin America and the Caribbean to help conserve valuable genes in indigenous farm animals. Many native breeds possess disease resistance, hardiness in adverse conditions and frequently an ability to survive on poor-quality feed - qualities that are not matched in high-producing exotic and susceptible breeds. FAO's Committee on Agriculture and its Council and Conference have endorsed the aim of conserving these genes at present through storage of deep-frozen semen and embryos. There may in the future be an opportunity provided by biotechnology to store only those DNA sequences that contain the useful economic character loci in genes in a thermostable form, thus reducing costs.
Today, elements of progress need to be applied that will provide small farmers and landless livestock owners with simpler, cheaper and easier means of maintaining their animals, such as molasses/urea blocks that distribute vital nutrients or the use of pelletized Newcastle disease vaccines to protect the birds of women backyard poultry owners with limited resources. FAO seeks to harness these new techniques in biotechnology to ensure the wellbeing of those most in need - small farmers and women, and young people starting out in life.
