Opportunities in the development of zoocultural biodiversity in Romania
to avoid biodiversity loss to ensure food security

Marcel Theodor Paraschivescu, Laurențiu Ciornei, Mariana Sandu

  CSRAB Bucharest

Keywords: opportunities, zooculture, biodiversity, losses, food security.

 Abstract: Agricultural and zoocultural biodiversity is indispensable for food security, sustainable development and the provision of many vital ecosystem services. Zoocultural biodiversity refers to the diversity of domestic animal species that are of economic importance to a particular community. Romania has a rich zoocultural biodiversity. Livestock herds in Romania have declined in recent years. The main reasons for the decline in livestock numbers in Romania have been: migration of the rural population to urban areas, limited access to finance for farmers, high feed costs and fluctuations in the prices of animal products, the impact of climate change and extreme weather events (droughts or floods), animal health and disease prevention and control problems. The development of zoocultural biodiversity in Romania can contribute to avoiding biodiversity loss through the following opportunities: increasing the efficiency of livestock farming, conserving the biodiversity of farm animals, reconsidering the importance of essential services, reconsidering cooperative activities, and setting up institutional structures to ensure the conservation and development of zoocultural biodiversity. A good manager or farmer needs to monitor cows for body condition, appetite and interval from calving to first estrus. An analysis of the dynamics of A.I. in bulls over the period 2013-2023 suggests that the bull industry is actively adapting to technological, economic and environmental changes. The absence of "in vitro" embryotransfers (E.T.) in beef cows over the period 2018-2022 highlights a notable difference in assisted breeding practices between dairy and beef cows. Services satisfy unitary or collective (local, area or national) interests. In the market economy cooperatives play an important role as they promote the principles of the social and solidarity economy and offer an alternative to the traditional business model. The development of zoocultiral biodiversity can be achieved by setting up structures to ensure this