The management of animal genetic resources should involve all people, from farmers to policy makers. Broader participation means better development and use of animal genetic resources. On the request of countries, FAO is now embarking on a major five-year project that will assist countries to evaluate all aspects of their state of the farm animal genetic resources, their priorities for action in breed development and conservation, and their needs. It is particularly well adapted to the different climate zones in Madagascar and provides meat and draught power. In Mexico, the Chiapas sheep has been reared for almost 500 years in the highlands of the State of Chiapas.
Indigenous women produce wool for their clothing and for sale.
Sheep are considered sacred, and people do not consume lamb or mutton. In Vietnam, the importance of H'Mong cattle was only discovered in 1997. For many years, these animals have been kept isolated. The breed is very well adapted to mountain regions up to 3,000 meters. The current population is estimated at 14,000 cattle.