Trump Administration Wants to Ease Approval of Gene-Edited Meat
“Our livestock producers need all the tools in the toolbox to help protect against animal diseases and continue to meet the challenge of feeding everyone now and into the future,” Sonny Perdue said in a statement.
Photographer: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg
The Trump administration signaled its backing on Monday for transferring authority over gene-edited meat from the Food & Drug Administration following complaints from the livestock industry that the regulatory agency’s approval process is too cumbersome.
The U.S. Agriculture Department announced a notice of proposed rule-making for new regulations shifting the authority over gene-editing of animals to USDA. The USDA is generally considered more sensitive to the interests of farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses.