1 What is DAD-IS?
DAD-IS is the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System hosted by FAO. It is a communication and information tool for implementing strategies for the management of animal genetic resources (AnGR). It provides the user with searchable databases of breed-related information and images, management tools, and a library of references, links and contacts of Regional and National Coordinators for the Management of Animal Genetic Resources. It provides countries with a secure means to control the entry, updating and accessing of their national data.
2 Structure of the global network
DAD-IS is the centre of a global network of stand alone information systems. The network links regional information systems and/or national information systems in individual countries to DAD-IS.
DAD-IS
EFABIS at http://efabis.tzv.fal.de/
Krajowa Baza Danych o Zasobach Genetycznych Zwierząt Gospodarskich at http://efabis.izoo.krakow.pl/
This global network is key to the communication and information-related aspects of the FAO Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources, and serves as the virtual structure for the Strategy. The network facilitates the coordination of country, regional and global efforts in AnGR management, while at the same time allowing greater scope for national or regional specificities in the management and dissemination of information.
3 Objectives of DAD-IS
The objectives of DAD-IS and the global network as a whole are to: involve, coordinate and assist governments, international agencies, NGOs, training and research groups throughout the world; and help to achieve better management of all AnGR used for the production of food and agriculture in all countries, in accordance with the World Food Summit Plan of Action and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
DAD-IS offers countries:
- a secure means to maintain and access their data;
- an advanced communication and information tool;
- a forum for exchange of ideas and techniques;
- country, regional and global contacts; and
- provides a repository for documents related to the management of AnGR.
4 How was DAD-IS:3 developed?
The European Association for Animal Production (EAAP) was one of the first organizations to develop a database to monitor European livestock breeds. The information was later also made available through the Internet. This system was called the EAAP-AGDB (Animal Genetic Data Bank). The system comprised textual breed descriptions as well as numeric information, particularly for population sizes and structures by year.
Animal Genetic Resources Group of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) developed a similar database for non-European countries. This database became the back-bone of the Internet-based dynamic Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) which was launched in 1996.
The two databases were incompatible and unable to exchange data, which meant that European National Coordinators for the Management of Animal Genetic Resources had to enter national data into both systems. Furthermore, both systems had aged and became progressively more difficult to maintain and to develop further. The European Farm Animal Biodiversity Information System (EFABIS) project funded by the European Commission under the Fifth European Community Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities, created a network of information systems under the Open Source Model, based on a merging and redevelopment of the two existing systems. This has provided greater functionality and opened the road for further development. These newly developed systems replaced the previous systems at EAAP and FAO and further enabled an extended installation at the National Research Institute of Animal Production in Poland. Thus, as a direct result of this project, three systems have been set up including DAD-IS:3.
The consortium of the EFABIS project consisted of representative of the institutions listed below:
- European Association for Animal Production (EAAP), 00162 Rome, Italy
- Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 00100 Rome, Italy
- Bureau des Ressources Génétiques (BRG), 16, rue Claude Bernard, 75231 Paris cedex, France
- University of Veterinary Medicine, 30559 Hanover, Germany
- National Research Institute of Animal Production (NRIAP), 31-047 Krakow, Poland
- Universitaria Agraria Veterinaria, Department VSA, Universita di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Institute for Animal Breeding, Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL), 31535 Neustadt, Germany
The technical implementation was carried out at the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetic Resources at the Institute for Animal Breeding, under the technical coordination of Eildert Groeneveld. The developers funded through the work packages of the partners were located at this institute to enable efficient team work. The group consisted of:
- Eildert Groeneveld (technical coordination) Institute for Animal Breeding, Federal Agricultural Research Center (FAL), 31535 Neustadt, Germany
- Ralf Fischer (first part) from the Institute for Animal Breeding, Federal Agricultural Research Center (FAL), 31535 Neustadt, Germany
- Zhivko Duchev from the University of Veterinary Medicine, 30559 Hanover, Germany
- Mateusz Wieczorek from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 00100 Rome for the last part of the project and development of DAD-IS:3.
- Lucjan Sołtys from Bureau des Ressources Génétiques (BRG), 16, rue Claude Bernard, 75231 Paris cedex, France for 2/3 of the project
- Marek Imiałek from National Research Institute of Animal Production (NRIAP), 31-047 Krakow, Poland
Furthermore, much input was provided by the other members of the project, in particular:
- Gustavo Gandini from University of Milano, Department VSA, Universita di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Beate Scherf from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 00100 Rome, Italy
- Maria Jaszczyńska from the National Research Institute of Animal Production (NRIAP), 31-047 Krakow, Poland
- Ottmar Distl from the University of Veterinary Medicine, 30559 Hanover, Germany
- Dominique Planchenault from Bureau des Ressources Génétiques (BRG), 16, rue Claude Bernard, 75231 Paris cedex, France during the first half of the project.
Credit must also been given to the project’s first coordinator, Johan van Arendonk from the University of Wageningen, the Netherlands, who handed over to Andrea Rosati from the European Association of Animal Production, Rome and, of course, Elena Couto, who overviewed the budget.
5 How does the network function?
This network of information systems treats countries as the smallest unit, and supports aggregation at regional and worldwide levels. To this effect, the network will consist of country, regional and the global information systems. The network can automatically exchange data and synchronize content. All information systems are accessible through the Internet using standard Web browsers. National Coordinators for the Management of Animal Genetic Resources are authorized to update their national datasets, and any user can view information.
Two aspects of the Web interface can be adapted to national specificities. First, translation of all screen texts allows countries to create their own national Web-based information system, where the interface is displayed in the national language and character set (e.g. Latin or Cyrillic). Second, the graphics and colour layout of the Web interface can be customized to underline the national ownership of the information system.
Moreover, the data content can be adapted to the national level. All data items can be translated to any national language. However, countries need to provide national data in a protocol language (one of the official languages established for communication with higher level information systems) using the tools provided. National data provided in any of the protocol languages will be automatically uploaded to higher levels, thereby making the information available worldwide and supporting national reporting to FAO. The hierarchy of the network (country, regional and global level) is also reflected by a hierarchy of content: the standard set of fields contained in the FAO information system is also present at the regional and at national levels. There are certain data items that might be relevant only for a certain region and some that might be applicable only for a specific country. Countries can decide to collect data on animal species used in food and agriculture that are not included in the higher levels of the network. Thus, at the country level (see for example Poland's information system), the set of data collected might be a superset (with respect to data items and animal species covered) of the contents at the regional level. In turn, FAO may require a subset of data items collected at regional and national levels. For instance, Poland's information system includes information on bees and fish, which are not reported to the higher-level information systems. Likewise, the European Farm Animal Biodiversity Information System (EFABIS) contains additional fields related to cryoconservation, and the environmental and cultural values of AnGR, which are not contained in DAD-IS.
6 How can I get the software for creating a regional or national information system?
The software is available under the GNU Public License (GPL) from http://efabis.tzv.fal.de/efabis2007.tar.gz. The installation can be made without any software costs, because both the system software and also the application software are released as Open Source software on GPL, enabling each country to create a national Web-based information system for animal genetic resources used for food and agriculture. Being an open source system, it can be tailored to country needs.