American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

Strengthening the future of agriculture through the genetic conservation and promotion of rare breeds of livestock and poultry.

The Livestock Conservancy (formerly ALBC) is a catalyst for rare breed conservation. The Conservancy uses research, education, outreach, marketing and promotion, and genetic rescues to help ensure the future of rare breed agriculture.

The Livestock Conservancy works directly with farmers to bridge the gap between conservation theory and on-farm practice. We provide educational materials, information, resources,
training, and consultation to equip farmers with the tools necessary to successfully raise and market rare breeds of livestock and poultry. The end-result is the
effective conservation of rare breeds.

Conservation
of heritage breeds:

• protects our food system by securing genetic resources;
• ensures broad genetic diversity for the evolution of agriculture;
• retains valuable genetic traits such as disease resistance, survival, self-sufficiency, fertility, longevity, foraging ability, maternal, instincts, and more.
• captures our heritage, history and culture;
• maintains breeds of animals that are well-suited for sustainable, grass-based and organic systems;
• gives small family farms a competitive edge in the challenging economics of small scale production.