Study of Rare Traditional Pork Breeds Concerning the Aspect of Biodiversity Conservation

Abstract

Mangalitsa and Bazna are rustic swine breeds, mainly grown for meat and lard, becoming close to extinction in the 1970’s. The importance of Mangalitsa and Bazna breed conservation is highly important under the aspect of the gene pool preservation, biodiversity conservation and cultivating traditions in the rural environment. The Mangalitsa breed represents a key role in a healthier nutrition plan, as it contains a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, which are essential to human nutrition and disease prevention. It is suitable for ecological breeding, as it is highly resistant to extreme climate, stress and diseases and is not pretentious to fodder. The study focuses on presenting and comparing various studies from the specialty literature, which show the reasons why both breeds should be introduced to conservation programs.