Génétique Ovine et Développement

GEODE is a french sheep Breeding Organization with national recognition for 12 sheep breeds for meat production,  structured as a cooperative enterprise consisting of 240 sheep breeders members, managed by a board of a president, a director and 17 breed representatives. It was founded in 1977.

Purpose and Activities
-Missions of management of genetic improvement programms for 12 meat, prolific or hardy breeds (maintenance of genealogical books, definition of breeding objectives  to best meet the needs of the sector, breeding sheep certifying, individual on-station evaluation), institutional representation, marketing of breeding stock and semen from our breeding flocks in France and abroad (EU, Third Countries) for 13 breeds and the caprine species (see attached maps)
-Current applied genetic research programmes (lamb vigour around birth, causes of adult culling, genetic resistance to internal parasitism, ….)

Projects for the future 
-Genetic selection supported by genomics (parentage assignment, major genes – hypermuscularity, hyperprolificity)

– European project SMARTER for the prospection of new functional traits (animal longevity, morphology, resistance to deseases, adaptability to food and climate variation…)

-Development of new objects in the cooperative: Deployment of selection bases, opening to other sheep breeds with interesting traits and to new species, service to the breeder (technical support to the breeder, genetic engineering support).