Reading response: "The Other Other White Meat"

To someone with a livestock background, its easy to imagine the benefits of cloning. Artificial insemination revolutionized the industry, allowing producers to access the best genetics in the world. Rather than transporting a bull (or boar, stallion, etc), cryogenically frozen semen can be stored in liquid nitrogen tanks and shipped around the world. Not only is this far more efficient and economically feasible, especially for smaller producers, but allows for the selection of the very best animals, improving herds at a much faster rate than would be possible with traditional breeding.

A similar practice, embryo transfer, involves the implantation of frozen embryos into donor cows, which are essentially surrogate mothers. The very best cows, typically those who have excelled at livestock shows or have superb production records, are flushed for embryos. Through traditional breeding, a cow can only have one calf per year, and has typically reached the end of her production by about 6 or 7 years of age. Embryo harvest allows for many more offspring than a cow could produce traditionally.

AI and ET have changed the face of the livestock industry, helping producers to breed stronger, higher producing, longer lived animals. It’s only natural that the next step involve cloning. Breeding, regardless of its done via a straw or a stud, leaves plenty to chance. Cloning eliminates this uncertainty. The animal is the same genetically and physically. This includes any products from a cloned animal, i.e. milk, meat, etc.

Cloning is not without disadvantages, however. Through breeding, producers are constantly trying to improve on the previous generation, rather than make identical copies. Cloned animals simply stop this evolution. In addition, recessive traits can cause issues when cloned animals are bred, especially if they are closely linked genetically. This is similar to the practice of line breeding, which is effective but must be closely monitored. As with all science, there are advantages and disadvantages, but the most important thing is to keep moving forward.

Discussion questions

Is the public’s rejection of cloned animals an issue of health or ideology?

Would you be comfortable eating meat or milk from a cloned animal?