Gene editing technologies including CRISPR have potential applications that could improve animal welfare — including producing hornless cattle and disease-resistant pigs. Understanding this emerging field matters for welfare advocates.
Gene editing for animal welfare presents a genuine ethical complexity. If CRISPR can eliminate dehorning pain in cattle by producing naturally hornless animals, this is a welfare improvement that should be considered on its merits. If disease-resistant pigs require fewer antibiotic treatments and have lower disease mortality, the welfare case is similarly real. However, gene editing also raises questions about whether modifying animals to better fit intensive systems is preferable to reforming those systems, whether unknown off-target effects may create welfare harms, and whether genetic solutions reinforce the commodification of animals as production units to be optimised. Welfare advocates should engage with these questions rather than reflexively opposing or embracing the technology.