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Cloning a needed technology in agriculture

Citing an expected dramatic increase in world demand for meat and dairy in the next few decades, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and New Zealand have signed a resolution in support of livestock cloning as one of many agricultural technologies that can help meet our growing demand for sustainable food production.

The Dr. David Edwards with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) says these countries recognize that cloning helps farmers produce healthier animals and a more consistent food supply. Edwards says “There is global scientific agreement that foods from livestock clones and their offspring are no different than foods from livestock produced through conventional breeding and are completely safe to eat.”

The agreement has five key points including trade regulations based on science; no evidence that food from clones is less safe than from conventional livestock; no justification for regulatory differences for progeny of clones nor should there be any difference in labeling of products from progeny of clones and recognition that any attempt to audit or enforce such regulations would be impossible to do.

In January 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final risk assessment on animal cloning concluding that livestock cloning is safe. In July 2008, the European Food Safety Authority also issued a scientific opinion that food from clones is safe, and there are no implications of animal cloning on the environment.

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