Editing Cuniculture (section)

===Modern farming===
Outside of the exhibition circles, rabbit raising remained a small-scale but persistent household and farm endeavor, in many locations unregulated by the rules that governed the production of larger livestock. With the ongoing urbanization of populations worldwide, rabbit raising gradually declined, but saw resurgences in both Europe and North America during World War{{nbsp}}II, in conjunction with [[victory garden]]s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fish & Wildlife Service|title=Press Release 14 Jan 1943|url=http://www.fws.gov/news/historic/1943/19430114.pdf|access-date=15 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ashbrook|first=Frank G.|title=How To Raise Rabbits for Food and Fur|year=1943|publisher=Orange Judd|location=New York|pages=23–28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=T.|first=A.|title=Some Remarks on the History of the Rabbit in Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11808930|access-date=15 October 2012|newspaper=The Argus|date=1 April 1944}}</ref> Eventually, farmers across Europe and in the United States began to approach cuniculture with the same scientific principles as had already been applied to the production of grains, poultry, and hoofed livestock. National agriculture breeding stations were established to improve local rabbit strains and to introduce more productive breeds. National breeding centers focused on developing strains for production purposes, including meat, pelts, and wool.<ref name=Whitman/>{{rp|119}}
[[Image:Achtergevel - Zeist - 20221681 - RCE.jpg|thumb|right|Cuniculture in the Netherlands (1974)|240px]] These gradually faded from prominence in the United States,<ref>{{cite web|last=Beeman|first=Joseph|title=Site of U.S. Rabbit Experimental Station|url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=50670|work=Historical Marker Database|access-date=15 October 2012}}</ref> but remained viable longer in Europe. Meanwhile, rabbit raising for local markets gained prominence in developing nations as an economical means of producing protein. Various aid agencies promote the use of rabbits as livestock.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} The animals are particularly useful in areas where women are limited in employment outside the household, because rabbits can be kept successfully in small areas.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lebas|first=F.|title=The Rabbit: Husbandry, Health and Production|year=1997|publisher=Food Agriculture Organization|location=Rome|chapter-url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/t1690E/t1690e00.htm#Contents|chapter=9|access-date=2012-10-15|archive-date=2009-10-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003103129/http://www.fao.org/docrep/t1690e/t1690e00.htm#Contents|url-status=dead}}</ref> These same factors have contributed to the increased popularity of rabbits as "backyard livestock" among [[locavores]] and [[Homesteading|homesteaders]] in more developed countries in North America and Europe. The addition of rabbits to the watchlist of endangered heritage breeds that is kept by [[The Livestock Conservancy]] has also led to increased interest from livestock conservationists. In contrast, throughout Asia (and particularly in China) rabbits are increasingly being raised and sold for export around the world.<ref>{{cite web|last=Foster|first=M.|title=Structure of the Australian Rabbit Industry|url=http://adl.brs.gov.au/data/warehouse/pe_abarebrs99000319/ari96_rabbit.pdf|work=ABARE Report|access-date=15 October 2012|pages=8–9|date=September 1996|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321072751/http://adl.brs.gov.au/data/warehouse/pe_abarebrs99000319/ari96_rabbit.pdf|archive-date=21 March 2012}}</ref>

The World Rabbit Science Association (WRSA), formed in 1976, was established "to facilitate in all possible ways the exchange of knowledge and experience among persons in all parts of the world who are contributing to the advancement of the various branches of the rabbit industry". The WRSA organizes a world conference every four years.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lebas|first=Francois|title=Constitution of the World Rabbit Science Association|url=http://world-rabbit-science.com/index.htm|publisher=World Rabbit Science Association|access-date=21 February 2018}}</ref>