Report of the Committee to consider the ethical implications of emerging technologies in the breeding of farm animals / Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  • Great Britain. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Date:
1995
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Report of the Committee to consider the ethical implications of emerging technologies in the breeding of farm animals / Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/94 (page 7)
    genetically modified foods. These questions have been addressed by the Report of the Committee on the Ethics of Genetic Modification and Food Use?. Method of work 1.6 The Committee began by issuing a consultation letter (Annex A) in which we identified the following areas as being of ethical concern and as calling for consideration: (a) intrinsic objections to the use of the emerging technologies in general and genetic modification in particular; (b) the effect of the various techniques on the welfare of farm animals used for breeding purposes and on their progeny; (c) the appropriateness of the use of patent law to protect commercial develop- ments in relation to genetic modification; (d) the risks, if any, to the environment which may arise from novel breeding technologies; (e) the effect of these technologies on the genetic diversity of farm animals; (f) the impact of the use of new technologies on the social and economic life of the community as a whole. 1.7. We invited written submissions from a large number of organisations (Annex B) on these and on any other matters of concern which came within our terms of reference. We were very grateful for the many responses we received; a list of respondents is at Annex C. The Committee met for the first time in October 1993 and on seven other occasions. Visits have been made to Genus in Northumberland and to the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, and a small number of expert witnesses were invited to attend meetings to answer questions and to enable the Committee to hear their views. eres Sys Pele’ Pe ea ee 2 The Report of the Committee on the Ethics of Genetic Modification and Food Use was published by HMSO in 1993 (ISBN 0-11—242954-8).