The Monitoring Institute

Breeding oriented on the performance only, being induced by economic considerations and pressure, has dramatically reduced the biodiversity of domesticated animals and cultivated plants. Less efficient breeds and varieties lose their value and become extinct, others only exist in small numbers. The traditional breeds and varieties, however, represent an important and valuable genetic and cultural-historical heritage. They possess qualities such as sturdiness, fertility and resistance against diseases and parasites, which could become very important in a different economic environment.

In order to be able to conserve animal species and cultivated plants at least in small numbers,

• the former diversity has to be known and recorded
• efficient action has to be taken in time.

The «Monitoring Institute», active across borders, has been founded in 1995 to take care of these tasks. It works as independent scientific branch of the European SAVE Foundation (Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in Europe).