Matching genetic resources and breeding objectives with constraints in tropical farming systems

A major challenge for the development of livestock in the tropics is the choice and the management of the various genetic resources available, to sustainably improve the productivity of farming systems. The intensification of international trade threatens the preservation of the local animal genetic resources (AnGR) in the tropics, increases the incidence of crosses or substitution with exogenous breeds.Therefore an important goal for tropical livestock production systems is to reconcile the preservation and improvement of the AnGR. Under limiting tropical conditions, the maximization of the productivity is an illusory challenge, and the multifunctionality of the animal and of the system allows passing through its failures. One difficulty is to objectivize the interest of domestic diversity, to give an economic value to adaptation traits for various productions systems, to multifunctionnality of animal resources. Beyond the objective interests of AnGR, sociological motivations of breeders should also be assessed as local breeds often suffer from pejorative connotation.Their image needs to be enhanced by the way, including tangible morphological changes in the aim of selection. Some projects already exist. As an example, in Guadeloupe island in the Carribeans, a participative action between the farmer cooperative, the extension services and INRA researchers is carried out in order to preserve and enhance the population of Creole goats. Farmers cooperative initiated the project to improve the economic viability of farms.Their approach will be presented. Furthermore, the expectations concerning genomic tools in such breeding conditions will be evoque. (Résumé d'auteur