Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

NPPC calls for USDA oversight

NPPC calls for USDA oversight

Organization asks for USDA involvement in gene editing to maintain competitiveness with other countries

 
Staff Writer
Farms.com
 
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is again asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture for regulatory oversight of livestock gene editing.
 
NPPC’s request follows the stall in the “development of an emerging technology promising major animal health and environmental benefits” at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), an NPPC release said Thursday. 
 
The FDA has regulatory authority over gene editing in livestock but no statutory obligation. FDA oversight will “treat any gene-edited animal as a living animal drug – and every farm raising them a drug manufacturing facility,” the release said. This approach reduces the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture in comparison to other countries with more progressive gene editing regulatory policies, NPPC said. 
 
The FDA’s pace in handling the gene-editing regulations reinforces the belief that the USDA is best equipped to oversee this work, Jim Heimerl, NPPC president and pork producer from Ohio, said in the release.
 
“U.S. agriculture is one our nation’s most successful export products; we can’t afford to cede leadership of gene editing to other countries,” he said. 
 
This new technology offers many benefits for the ag industry, said Dr. Dan Kovich, NPPC director of science and technology. 
 
“In addition to dramatic animal health gains and reduced financial risk for farmers, gene editing’s promise includes less need to use antibiotics to care for livestock and reduced environmental impact from more efficient farm operations,” he said in the release.
 
Scientists can use gene editing to make simple changes in a pig’s native genetic structure without exposing it to genes from a different species. The process is also faster than traditional breeding practices for trait selection.
 
For example, new applications of gene editing include raising pigs to be resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, a highly contagious disease. 
 
Farms.com has reached out to NPPC for comment.
 
National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff photo, Des Moines, IA, USA photo 
 

Trending Video

Moisture, Temperature, and Extreme Weather – What 2025 Has in Store

Video: Moisture, Temperature, and Extreme Weather – What 2025 Has in Store

Beef cattle farmers and ranchers are preparing for spring 2025 and all that comes with it — calving and planting. Meteorologist Matt Makens once again joins the podcast to highlight the weather challenges in the months ahead, namely dry conditions in many western parts of the country. As beef producers evaluate their ability to retain heifers and build up their herd numbers, much of those decisions are reliant on moisture, so listen in to hear Matt’s thoughts and advice to producers. Plus, we chat with our friends at Farm Credit to hear why creating a relationship with your ag lender is important and what you can do to establish that long-term business partnership that will sustain your operation in the good times and the bad. Learn more at farmcredit.com.