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NPPC says USDA should oversee gene editing for livestock

The director of science and technology at the National Pork Producers Council says the development of livestock gene editing technology has stalled at the Food and Drug Administration.

Dan Kovich says that’s why the NPPC is renewing its call for USDA regulatory oversight of the technology.

“The FDA’s approach is not going to take into account the novelty of what’s being changed and in fact we think it’s going to kill this technology,” he says. “We already see indications that companies are moving research investments into facilities overseas, and we just think that’s flat out wrong.”

He tells Brownfield if the FDA’s current approach continues there are three potential outcomes and none of them are good…

“One is that we’d have a complete loss of genetic diversity, the second option would be that the FDA would get bogged down in different approval applications for each line, breed, and strain of cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and the third option is that producers just aren’t going to have access to this technology,” he says.

Kovich says the USDA would better regulate the technology that allows tweaks in a pig’s genetic structure. He says the technology benefits producers and could make a huge difference in preventing viral diseases and enhancing food safety.

Audio: Dan Kovich, National Pork Producers Council