This strategic policy document on the Romanian management of Animal Genetic

Resources and, by consequence, of his animal industry, is the Romanian’s official

contribution to the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s “First Report on the state of
World’s Animal Genetic Resources”. It try to answer to three important questions at
this moment: (1) What is now the situation of AnGR in Romania; (2) What must
be now and in the next future the situation; and (3) How to get were Romania
must to be.
As the past is present in the actual situations and in the future decisions, the project
starts (Chapter 1.1.) with a short presentation of Romania and his agricultural
evolution. It is mentioned that the survival of Romanian people, a relic of the former
Roman Empire, have some connection with the agriculture, that Romanians have a
long history in developing pastoral systems (tranhumance, transterminace) and breeds
suited to the wide variety of production environments found in this part of Europe.
Even now, many breeds name of Central, S-Eastern and Eastern Europe still remind
the old nickname of Romanian’s (Valach) or of an Aromanian (Vlach) tribe. It is
mentioned also that Romania uses to be up to 1864 more a country of landlords. Some
five agrarian reforms, made, with the exception of the first (1864), more under external
political conjuncture than from economic-social, or environmental reasons,
dramatically increased the weight of small low inputs farms, practically set up a non
sustainable, non competitive agriculture. From a former big agricultural exporter,
Romania becomes an importer. We note that in the years 1960-1990 the large-
scaleindustrial
farms pioneered the large-scale animal production systems in poultry and
pigs, even some 50% of country animal production was assured by co-operator’s
”part-time private farms” and by peasants from mountain non co-operatives area.
The second chapter of the project (1.2.) makes an analysis of the state of production
systems, the biotope and interrelated elements of the farm animal genetic ecosystem. It
is noted that sustainable livestock production systems are those in which AnGR reflect
the available environmental resources. It is demonstrate that:
􀂉 At least 80% of cattle, sheep, goat, buffalo’s production, the horses and the asses
are in low input production systems (subsistence, smallholder, small-scale
commercial farms, less and more than 5o% of production marketed). With the
exception of cattle, the breeds are native, adapted to production systems.
􀂉 The new private large commercial farm and companies, of medium and high-input
production systems (100% of production marketed), have just about 48% of pigs
and 65% of poultry;
􀂉 The role of pastoral systems in creating half-natural ecosystems, cultural landscape
and the preservation and use of indigenous knowledge and practices relevant to the
conservation of AnGR is still not enough appreciated.
􀂉 The most important economic and social animal products in Romania are milk,
meat and egg. Wool used to be very important, being supported by the state up to
1990. The draught power, manure, leisure, landscape management are secondary
product.