Protecting genetic diversity

Research continued to deepen our understanding of genetic diversity in both the livestock and crop sectors.  This year has seen further investigation into the management of and consumer market for genetic diversity. This focus will lead to a better understanding of genetic diversity across the supply chain from both a supply and demand perspective.

A focus of research this year has been further understanding consumer preferences for different potato varieties, and hence the consumer market for genetic diversity.  Building on work in previous years, an online of Scottish consumers surveyed consumers’ perceptions of potatoes and responsiveness to potatoes with increased nutritional benefits.  The survey included a choice experiment in which respondents were asked to make purchasing choices between alternative potato profiles.  The statistical analysis of these choices helped to identify the characteristics of potatoes important in consumers’ purchasing decisions and impact of nutritional information on their preferences.  Most respondents surveyed were satisfied with the diversity in potato varieties available to buy and even thought diversity was high.  With regard to purchasing decisions, colour was found to the be most important factor followed by origin and size.  White fleshed potato were preferred over purple fleshed potatoes, despite the nutritional benefits of the latter.  Information about the health benefits of potatoes significantly impacted consumers’ preferences for and increased their willingness to pay for purple fleshed potatoes. Hence, more information on the health benefits of purple fleshed potatoes would likely raise their profile and in turn support the genetic diversity of potatoes.

Research has continued to build on work in previous years on genetic diversity in the livestock sector.  Computer models developed in previous years were used to estimate inbreeding in ruminants.  This work included the prediction of future progeny inbreeding from specific sire-dam matings.  Different estimates of inbreeding were compared.  Such information is valuable for optimising the management of genetic diversity in livestock populations.  As such, the impact of actual and predicted genomic inbreeding derived in the previous 6 months on important animal traits was assessed.  This work will help to inform how industry can use genomic data to manage inbreeding. The market for genetic diversity from the perspective of a consumer and also the impact of inbreeding policy impacts of support genetic diversity were investigated. 

Highlights:

Some relevant highlights could be pulled from Theme progress reports and then added to.

A representative sample of 660 Scottish consumers answered a choice experiment as well as attitudinal and perception questions. Information related to the health benefits of potato was conveyed to consumers according to 3 different treatments. The survey was analysed using descriptive statistics and econometric technics to estimate a conditional logit model. The report 'Consumers’ preferences and perceptions of genetic diversity and health benefits of potatoes” found that: price, colour, origin and size of potato tubers are key factors in consumers’ choice of potatoes at the purchasing stage. Consumers were generally happy with the diversity of potatoes that is available for them to buy in their usual retail outlet and thought that this diversity was high. They also generally agreed that potatoes could be part of a healthy diet and disagreed that potatoes contribute to weight gain. They were unsure about the advantages of coloured fleshed potatoes from a nutritional point of view but appeared to be responsive to information about the health benefits of purple fleshed potatoes. Detailed health information message based on scientific evidence was twice as efficient as a simple information message.

The value of genetic difference has been explored further with critical investigations on both livestock and crop production sectors. A series of engagement events have allowed empirical testing of models and algorithms, as well as gathering of information towards particular future scenarios for policy planning.  These rely heavily on narratives around Scotland's relationship with the EU in the future and the effects on planning and farm management for both livestock and arable sectors. Moreover, strands devoted to big data analysis have also allowed us to examine decision making and the outcomes of preserving greater diversity.

Policies were further explored and their relationship to supply chain drivers.  Moreover, explorations of how the 'payment for public goods agenda' could fit within post-Brexit agriculture were also explored in order to find opportunities for support to overcome barriers in conservation of genetic resources.

Building on stakeholder workshops conducted in previous phases of the project, supply-chain actors engaged in Scenario Planning, exploring Brexit implications for varietal diversity in potatoes. Researchers canvassed views on important drivers of change at Potatoes in Practice (09.08.18). Three scenarios were developed to promote strategic thinking in the face of future uncertainty. Scenario 1, “Salvation through Science”, envisaged a buoyant market with Britain out of the EU but adapting innovatively with smart solutions. In scenario 2,” Survival of the Fittest”, there are few new potato varieties with conventional breeding techniques still the norm. There is upside, but the cost of production and lack of labour make competing on the world stage tougher. Participants working with Scenario 3, “Potato production in a pesticide free world” visualized an industry struggling with increased incidences of serious disease outbreaks, reduced yields, labour shortages and no subsidies. 

Scenario outcomes include scenario specific strategic recommendations around gene editing, promoting health benefits of potatoes via government social media and breeding for health, developing varieties to cope with weather extremes- especially for export and adopting new pest management technology and crop health (to replace pesticides in line with moves towards a low-carbon economy.)

The key message of the research (presented through a policy brief) was that constructing an indicator for monitoring rare breed status may support more targeted conservation interventions. Employing multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to differentiate funding for conservation activities may improve the cost effectiveness of investments in preserving rare breed diversity.  We showed that MCDA provides a powerful analytical framework for reporting breed status and developing key performance indicators to benchmark performance. We suggested the method could be adapted to include other livestock species but with some changes to the criteria. With respect to targeted support we concluded that taking account of the multiple factors that may be driving breed extinction risk can support more strategic conservation interventions to improve breed status.

Further analysis has been conducted of the semi-structured interviews conducted in year 2 to examine the governance structure of genetic diversity in the potato sector. More specifically, we examined: i/how genetic resources are managed in the potato sector; ii/ stakeholders’ perceptions of the challenges and opportunities brought about by genetic agrobiodiversity as well as, iii/their perceptions of the role played by genetic agrobiodiversity in the resilience of the sector.

A workshop was held and the findings were: i) Focusing only on conservation grazing was identified as a poor approach and any future incentive schemes must be made more holistic across the main livestock species; ii) Improving the marketability of animal genetic diversity through developing novel products and tapping into niche markets was seen as a major challenge to improve self-sufficiency of breeds; iii) Prioritisation by using more sophisticated approaches such as the approach suggested in this workshop are needed to communicate more effectively with politicians and other stakeholders. Moreover, with an oral presentation we squared these findings with post-Brexit farming to understand how conserving farm animal genetic resources can be considered a public good under the Agriculture Bill.

We investigated challenges and opportunities of conserving rare and native breeds through interviews with enterprises in the sheep meat supply chain and an online survey targeting sheep farmers.   We found that native breeds are mainly kept because of their adaptability, hardiness as well as greater production than average commercial cross bred animals. Our work identified marketability and lack of investment in marketing as an important factor that prevents farmers keeping rare and native breeds.  Furthermore, we investigated the structure of the supply chain with respect to genetic diversity of crops (mainly barley and wheat). It was found that adjustment in current laws and regulations is needed to assure sufficient level of genetic diversity. Also it was found that large companies in the food production chain have the power of controlling the market including entrance, access to distribution channels and ability to set prices and therefore they negatively affect genetic diversity of the producing crops.

We developed a mathematical model to optimise breed conservation choices, and to evaluate alternative scenarios for efficiently re-allocating genetic materials currently stored in different European cryogenic banks, allowing for cross-country gene collection, cost and cryogenic capacity differentials.  We showed how alternative allocations could reduce overall conservation costs, and illustrate the diversity-cost relationship using notional supply curves.  These provide guidance for both policy makers and conservation scientists seeking to define objectives for the design of efficient ex situ conservation.

A suite of algorithms developed in Year 2 were applied to the analysis of bovine genotypic and pedigree data. Data pertained to ca. 250,000 animals with genome-wide genotypes spanning all chromosomes including ca. 50,000 SNPs. These animals are primarily kept for breeding purposes. Results from the analyses include estimates of genomic and pedigree inbreeding of individual animals. Diversity measurements were also derived. These results can be used to inform breeding programmes aiming at both genetic gain and maintenance of genetic diversity.

Highlights:

• Helping industry value and protecting genetic diversity. SEFARI researchers and students have been working with UK industry stakeholders on the importance of protecting UK native breeds (RD2.3.2) during April. One workshop was hosted by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) to discuss the conservation of UK’s native livestock breeds which are at risk. The workshop included participants representing 25 different breed societies and three different institutions including ADHB, RBST and members of Defra’s Farm Animal Genetic Resources Committee. A second workshop, again hosted by RSBT, explored the development of support structures for conservation of the UK’s Native Breeds at Risk post Brexit.