Genetic Technologies and Animal Welfare: Gene Editing, Cloning, and Selective Breeding

Genetic technologies including gene editing, selective breeding, and cloning offer both opportunities to improve animal welfare and risks of creating or entrenching welfare problems. A welfare-centred approach to animal genetic technology evaluates each application on its welfare outcomes.

Key Facts

CRISPR gene editing has been used to create hornless cattle, potentially eliminating the need for dehorning
Selective breeding for high milk yield in dairy cattle has reduced fertility and increased disease susceptibility
Gene editing to introduce resistance to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome could eliminate a major welfare problem
Prion-disease resistant sheep have been produced through gene editing, potentially preventing a fatal neurological disease
Cloning of farm animals has low success rates and surviving clones often have health problems
The introgression of disease resistance genes through gene editing is assessed as welfare-positive by most welfare scientists
UK gene editing regulation was relaxed in 2023 to allow precision breeding for beneficial traits
Public acceptance of gene editing varies significantly and affects the commercial viability of welfare-improving applications

Welfare Considerations

Genetic technologies present a genuine welfare opportunity that has often been obscured by broader debates about GMOs and naturalness. Gene editing that eliminates a pain-causing procedure — such as hornlessness in cattle — or that confers disease resistance — such as PRRS resistance in pigs — directly reduces individual animal suffering at scale. The welfare evaluation of specific genetic applications should focus on the welfare outcomes for the resulting animals rather than on the naturalness or otherwise of the technology. By this criterion, welfare-improving gene editing deserves support, while applications that entrench or worsen welfare problems — such as further selection for extreme growth rate or milk yield — deserve opposition. A welfare-centred genetic technology policy evaluates applications case by case rather than accepting or rejecting the technology categorically.

What You Can Do

Engage with gene editing applications for animals based on their welfare outcomes rather than categorical technology opposition
Support applications of gene editing that demonstrably reduce welfare-damaging procedures or disease burden
Oppose selective breeding approaches that worsen welfare through extreme conformation or production targets
Advocate for welfare impact assessment to be a mandatory component of all animal genetic technology approvals
Support research into welfare-improving gene editing applications including disease resistance and polled genetics
Follow developments in animal genetic technology through welfare science organisations rather than solely through consumer advocacy sources
Engage with regulatory consultations on animal genetic technology to ensure welfare is centrally considered