Livestock and agriculture welcome the recent proposal to shift animal biotech regulations from the Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Agriculture. USDA announced this week a proposal to move the regulatory framework to the agency. In a statement, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture says, “Using the law as intended by Congress to bring order and efficiency to our current process welcomes innovation and enables our regulatory system to keep pace with science.” The National Pork Producers Council calls the announcement a “big step forward for America's farmers.” NPPC claims that FDA regulation of gene editing would result in an impractical, lengthy and expensive approval process. However, the organization counters, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service already has a review process in place for gene editing in plants, which can serve as a model for livestock. USDA's rulemaking has a 60-day comment period. NASDA and NPPC have pledged to submit comments to the proposal.
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