Creole goats in Latin America and the Caribbean: a priceless resource to ensure the well-being of rural communities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Creole breeds are an invaluable genetic reservoir due to their adaptation to the environments where they are exploited. In particular, Creole goats in Latin America and the Caribbean play a preponderant role in the development and economic growth of rural communities. They represent a strategic option for these communities to migrate from poverty to prosperity, taking advantage of the adaptability and rusticity of these goats, given that they survive, reproduce, and produce acceptable levels of meat and milk in adverse conditions and environments. For this reason, they are a key species for generating foods of high biological and nutritional value, in the face of changing environmental and climatic conditions. Therefore, public policies should consider local or Creole goats as a priority species in productive support programmes, as well as in research programmes seeking to improve productivity in a sustainable manner in all environments where they are raised.