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JUNE 13, 2007--It sounds fancy: the First International Technical Conference on Animal Genetic Resources. That's the United Nations' way of saying "Save the cows!" Because 190 of more than 7,600 registered breeds of farm animals have become extinct in the last 15 years, and 1,500 more are "at risk," this September those in the know are meeting in Interlaken, Switzerland, to do something about it. This week marks an important preparatory meeting of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and representatives for pastoralists and livestock farmers. Here's what Danielle Nierenberg of Worldwatch Institute reported on the issue recently: Thanks to highly intensive production methods (including factory farming) and the globalization of livestock markets, the industry relies more heavily on a shrinking number of animal breeds. More than one third of the global pig supply is supplied by a very few commercial breeds, says FAO, and just a "handful" of commercial chicken breeds provide 85 percent of the world's eggs. In the dairy industry, high-output dairy cattle breeds - like the familiar Jersey cow - account for 75 percent of the world's milk supply. Why is this a concern? There are still milk, cheese, and hamburgers in the grocery store, right? But relying on just a few breeds diminishes humanity's ability to respond to disease, disasters, and - most acutely - climate change. For the 1 billion people in the developing world who depend on cows, pigs, chickens, goats, and other animals to sustain their livelihoods, a strong livestock genetic base ensures that they will eat today and their children will eat tomorrow. Unfortunately, the pressure to increase production in the world's poorest regions is forcing livestock herders to abandon traditional breeds - those that they have bred for centuries for certain traits like resistance to disease or the ability to withstand harsh climates - in favor of high-producing commercial varieties. These are animals that can produce a lot of meat or milk, but aren't acclimated to developing country conditions and, because of their frailty, must rely on commercial feeds, antibiotics, and other inputs of industrial agriculture. Here's what some country are already doing to preserve animal breeds, the Food and Agriculture Organization says: Iran: A programme to promote indigenous poultry includes selective breeding and distribution to rural families Indonesia: Bali cattle are conserved by an in situ programme and cryo-conservation of semen Morocco: Tight restrictions limit cross-breeding of local sheep with imported animals China: After surveys found 79 previously unknown breeds, the government created conservation areas and genebanks for cryo-conservation South Africa: Indigenous Nguni bulls, well adapted to local production conditions, are being supplied to resource-poor cattle keepers

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