SAVE Foundation (Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in Europe)

Carpathian Workshop

Monitoring Institute for Rare Breeds and Seeds in Europe

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Workshop report "Rare Breeds and Plant Varieties in the Carpathian mountains"

Mountainous regions, made up of a variety of different topographical regions and various hindrances to production, have developed a great diversity of agricultural animal breeds and plant varieties. This is now in danger of ousting by modern performance methods in agricultural production. It is possible that numerous breeds and varieties in these mountainous regions will vanish completely - and with them, their valuable genes for survival in such conditions. The Carpathian mountains represent an important retreat for biological diversity, spread over several countries in Europe. In the Central and Eastern European countries, in addition to the general threat to diversity from modern techniques, the rapid economic transformation in agriculture resulting from privatization poses further dangers. To obtain an accurate picture of the needs for action, representatives of SAVE Foundation have undertaken a number of expeditions to monitor different areas of the Carpathians. This has included a number of tours to Poland and Slovakia between 1991 and 1995; Romania in 1997 and Carpathian-Ukraine in 1998.

In May 1999, SAVE Foundation and the Monitoring Institute assembled experts and persons familiar with the most remote areas of the Carpathians at a workshop to determine the current situation and to analyse the needs and required actions. Some 30 experts of the four neighbouring countries of Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania met in Suceava, Romania. Organized by SAVE Foundation, in co-operation with the Vegetal Gene Bank Suceava and the Monitoring Institute St.Gallen, the workshop was financed by the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape.

The goals of the workshop were:

to size the remaining populations of rare breeds and plant varieties in the Carpathians

to study the problems of breeding, endangering and extinction

to determine the priority needs for action

Roundtable and small groups discussions developed a list of cultivated and useful wild plants which are the most endangered and should be conserved as a priority. These include malus, perennial rye, perennial vegetables, pyrus, sorbus domestica, sorbus torminalis, small fruits, Triticum dicoccum, T. monococcum and vitis.

An analogus list for livestock breeds showed the necessity for urgent actions for the Red Mangalica pig, the Walachian sheep (Beskidis), the Walachian Dwarf cattle (or Mocanitsa cattle), the old indigenous type of the Carpathian buffalo (especially in Transcarpathia), the Huzul horse in the place of origin (and establishment of an international studbook). Further monitoring work is necessary for other mountain horse breeds as Sikul and Bikaz, primitiv old types of international cattle breeds as Simmental, Brown and Pinzgau/Dorna cattle, donkeys, goats, poultry, sheep dogs and bees.

The participants agreed to become network partners of crossborder co-operation to rescue endangered livestock breeds and plant varieties. The project in the Carpathians will go on. Next meetings will happen in each of the Carpathian countries in alternation.

The => synthesis report can be downloaded here (PDF file, 815 KB; requires Acrobat Reader).

The full report (112 illustrated pages) is available with the SAVE Head Office or the Monitoring Institute (Schneebergstr. 17, CH-9000 St.Gallen). Please send Euro 35 in banknotes (report Euro 25, delivery Euro 10.-).

The Carpathian buffalo is the only water buffalo adapted to harsh climate and stony mountain soil. An exemple of unique genresource to be held for the future.

office(at)save-foundation.net

SAVE Head Office
Joseph-Belli-Weg 5
D-78467 Konstanz
Germany

12-06, 2003


	Carpathian Workshop
	Monitoring Institute for Rare Breeds and Seeds in Europe
back to Publicationlist back to Projects	Workshop report "Rare Breeds and Plant Varieties in the Carpathian mountains" Mountainous regions, made up of a variety of different topographical regions and various hindrances to production, have developed a great diversity of agricultural animal breeds and plant varieties. This is now in danger of ousting by modern performance methods in agricultural production. It is possible that numerous breeds and varieties in these mountainous regions will vanish completely - and with them, their valuable genes for survival in such conditions. The Carpathian mountains represent an important retreat for biological diversity, spread over several countries in Europe. In the Central and Eastern European countries, in addition to the general threat to diversity from modern techniques, the rapid economic transformation in agriculture resulting from privatization poses further dangers. To obtain an accurate picture of the needs for action, representatives of SAVE Foundation have undertaken a number of expeditions to monitor different areas of the Carpathians. This has included a number of tours to Poland and Slovakia between 1991 and 1995; Romania in 1997 and Carpathian-Ukraine in 1998. In May 1999, SAVE Foundation and the Monitoring Institute assembled experts and persons familiar with the most remote areas of the Carpathians at a workshop to determine the current situation and to analyse the needs and required actions. Some 30 experts of the four neighbouring countries of Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania met in Suceava, Romania. Organized by SAVE Foundation, in co-operation with the Vegetal Gene Bank Suceava and the Monitoring Institute St.Gallen, the workshop was financed by the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape. The goals of the workshop were: to size the remaining populations of rare breeds and plant varieties in the Carpathians to study the problems of breeding, endangering and extinction to determine the priority needs for action Roundtable and small groups discussions developed a list of cultivated and useful wild plants which are the most endangered and should be conserved as a priority. These include malus, perennial rye, perennial vegetables, pyrus, sorbus domestica, sorbus torminalis, small fruits, Triticum dicoccum, T. monococcum and vitis. An analogus list for livestock breeds showed the necessity for urgent actions for the Red Mangalica pig, the Walachian sheep (Beskidis), the Walachian Dwarf cattle (or Mocanitsa cattle), the old indigenous type of the Carpathian buffalo (especially in Transcarpathia), the Huzul horse in the place of origin (and establishment of an international studbook). Further monitoring work is necessary for other mountain horse breeds as Sikul and Bikaz, primitiv old types of international cattle breeds as Simmental, Brown and Pinzgau/Dorna cattle, donkeys, goats, poultry, sheep dogs and bees. The participants agreed to become network partners of crossborder co-operation to rescue endangered livestock breeds and plant varieties. The project in the Carpathians will go on. Next meetings will happen in each of the Carpathian countries in alternation. The => synthesis report can be downloaded here (PDF file, 815 KB; requires Acrobat Reader).	The full report (112 illustrated pages) is available with the SAVE Head Office or the Monitoring Institute (Schneebergstr. 17, CH-9000 St.Gallen). Please send Euro 35 in banknotes (report Euro 25, delivery Euro 10.-).
	The Carpathian buffalo is the only water buffalo adapted to harsh climate and stony mountain soil. An exemple of unique genresource to be held for the future.
office(at)save-foundation.net SAVE Head Office Joseph-Belli-Weg 5 D-78467 Konstanz Germany			12-06, 2003