The World Hereford Council is the international breeding authority on Hereford cattle, existing for the promotion of breed excellence and the cultivation of global trade in Hereford genetics. Originally based in England, at the Hereford Cattle Society, the Council was established in 1951 as a response to the increasingly widespread international export and breeding of Hereford cattle, and the need to maintain a global authority connecting Hereford cattle to the original English herd book.