Every two years, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) publishes an overview of the populations of livestock breeds native to Germany of the large animal species horse, cattle, pig, sheep and goat, as well as poultry species and rabbits. The Red List provides information on the populations of the breeds and their endangerment classifications, which are determined by the BLE and the Advisory Committee on Animal Genetic Resources on the basis of the previous year's population data. In addition, the brochure provides information on the various characteristics and traits as well as the use of these breeds.

Although this year's Red List reports many success stories, such as the improvement of nine poultry breeds to a less endangered category and the addition of one new horse breed and two new sheep breeds, the population of native pig breeds is of great concern. Many of the already highly endangered breeds are now acutely threatened by the advance of African swine fever (ASF). Many of the keepers of rare breeds, such as Leicoma pigs, often keep few animals on small farms. These are rarely in a position to implement the strict hygiene regulations and are forced to give up their animals. In addition, the strict regulations mean that a relocation of the animals to an area that is not endangered also involves an enormous amount of time and effort. It is to be hoped that as many breedings as possible will continue to exist despite the difficult situation.

If you would like to find out about the current situation of domestic livestock breeds in Germany or browse through the breed portraits of the many animal species, you can pre-order a free print copy of the brochure by calling +49228/ 6845-3237 or sending an e-mail to ibv(at)ble(dot)de. A digital version is already available for download at https://genres.de/en/sector-specific-portals/livestock/red-list-of-livestock-breeds or at www.ble-medienservice.de.