Browsing by Subject "indigenous breed"

An interdisciplinary research project The conservation of the native breeds for the social welfare and rural entrepreneurship – the background for the economical, social and cultural activities was carried out in MTT Agrifood Research Finland during the years 2004-2006. The research was done in collaboration with MTT Agrifood Research Finland, TTS Work Efficiency Institute, persons having native breeds and experts in the field of native breeds. The research was one part of Biodiversity and Monitoring Programme MOSSE partially funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. One dimension of the research was to examine the socio-cultural meaning of native breeds in productisation. The aim was to find out the social and cultural meanings of native breeds among breeders, consumers and citizens and to define the essential meanings and their dimensions relating to native breeds. Answers for the research questions were searched for example by the theme interview done for eight breeders of Finncattle and Finnsheep. Resting on material of the theme interview I have researched in this Master´s thesis, what kind of policy measures would be the most functional ones so that breeders would keep native breeds also in the future and even have more of them. I have examined these policy measures by using farmer typology, considering challenges and opportunities arousing from keeping native breeds and the dimensions of utilizing native breeds. With the help of farmer typology were found out those policy measures, targets and need for policy measures important for each farmer type for example in the situation where a breeder wanted to start with upgrading of native breed products in his farm. Examining policy measures by using challenges and opportunities of keeping native breeds and by the dimensions of utilizing native breeds, did highlight the need not only for diversified policy measures but also for collaboration between administrative and social sectors and participation of breeders when planning policy measures for the conservation of native breeds. This arises from the diverse field of keeping native breeds: native breeds are utilized in traditional agricultural production and in a hobby oriented way when living in the countryside as well. Farmers, other entrepreneurs, private persons, school farms, prison farms and other breeders do have a key position in conservation work of native breeds. They in practice do take care of breeding of these animals and maintaining live gene banks. In addition to functional policy measures, we need management of diversity of indigenous breeds based on breeders´ views and actors committed to the work.