This publication is an outcome of the EURECA project – “Towards self-sustainability of EUropean, REgional, CAttle breeds” – undertaken by a consortium of 10 European partners (10 countries) between 2007 and 2010. The project sought to answer the question: “How can we positively influence the future of our local cattle breeds in Europe?” The approach taken involved collecting fifteen breed cases studies – history, status and development – across eight European countries. Sources of information included farmer interviews and the perceptions of other stakeholders and experts including National Coordinators for the Management of Animal Genetic Resources. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) were analysed for each breed. For some breeds, strategic opportunities were identified and the project partners interacted with relevant stakeholders in order to develop or strengthen the future prospects of the breeds in question. The project also studied similarities and differences among national cryoconservation programmes, and reviewed available methodologies and software for assessing the management of genetic variation within populations. The book's eight chapters cover: an introduction to the project and its methods; trends in cattle diversity and production in Europe; the state of local cattle breeds in Europe – covering risk status and the state of management; differences and similarities across local cattle farming in Europe – including farm characteristics, farmer profiles and SWOT analyses; the role and state of cryoconservation in local cattle breeds – including organizational aspects, sampling strategies and factors affecting management decisions; assessment and management of genetic variation; decision-making tools for the development of breeding strategies; and recommendations for the management of local cattle breeds in Europe. Text boxes present short descriptions of the history and management of the breeds studied and the outcomes of the respective SWOT analyses.