The dominance of a few high-yielding breeds has eroded genetic diversity in global cattle populations. Preserving traditional and heritage breeds protects disease resilience, welfare, and genetic resources.
The welfare consequences of narrow genetic bases in commercial cattle are real and measurable. Intensive selection for milk production in Holstein-Friesians has driven correlated increases in metabolic disease, reproductive failure, and early culling — all welfare problems rooted in the genetic incompatibility between extreme production demands and normal physiological function. Heritage and locally adapted breeds, having evolved under traditional farming conditions, frequently show higher resistance to common diseases, better reproductive efficiency, and longer productive lives. Maintaining diverse cattle genetic resources is therefore not just an agricultural heritage concern but a welfare strategy: it preserves the option to breed away from the welfare problems embedded in overly specialized lines.