The United States is falling behind other countries when it comes to allowance and regulation of livestock gene editing. The National Pork Producers Council has voiced concern that the Nobel Prize just went to the CRISPR Cas 9 genetic scissors. South Dakota Pork Producers Council President Craig Andersen says gene editing could be a critical tool for pork producers in battling things such as foreign animal diseases and allowing them to cut down or eliminate their drug use for pig’s health;
He says it shouldn’t take a lot of time to develop the gene editing technology and the benefits would be seen almost immediately.
Andersen says part of the reason for the delay in movement in gene editing has come from the Food and Drug Administration being in charge of it and the way they’ve proceeded.
Andersen says it would make more sense for the USDA to handle livestock gene editing. And Howard A.V. Roth, President of NPPC says if the USDA isn’t given gene editing oversight the U.S. will have given that technology to global competitors at the expense of American jobs.
