SAVE Foundation

Biodiversity today is not only endangered in wildlife flora and fauna, but also within the once rich variety of agricultural breeds and seeds, which was directly used for our nutrition. This diversity has been significantly decreased by replacing the old domestic breeds and varieties by high performance breeds. The breeds that did not come up to the new standard e.g. more meat and milk for cattle and more ham than bacon for the pig was abandoned, lost its breeding value and disappeared. Some breeds already have vanished, of others only few individuals can still be found. Even if the old forms bring unsatisfactory yields applied to modern standards, they pos-sess qualities like high fertility, roughness and are resistant against cold climate as well as against diseases. This could be of importance in another economic environment. The traditional breeds and seeds have been adapted over generations to the needs of man as well as to the special conditions of their environment. They are not only genetically interesting, but are also a valuable cultural heritage worth to be preserved. To be able to preserve endangered breeds and seeds at least in small populations, it is necessary to act in time. In different countries organisations came into existence which are dedicated to the conservation of the diversity which once existed. These founded the European SAVE Foundation (Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in Europe), in 1993, which co-ordinates the work across borders and becomes active, where no national organisation is existing yet. SAVE Foundation and their partner organisations build the European SAVE Network. As staff position of SAVE Foundation the Monitoring Institute for Rare Breeds and Seeds, which is also acting transnationally, was founded in 1995. It maintains large data bases and a European wide net of contacts to do research on the former diversity, to document it and to create a basis for targeted action. The Institute works out situation analyses, sensitises the public and decision makers and alarms national organisations if there is a need.