Cloning and Agribusiness
Comments on an article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences via BBC News
A pilot study has been done on 6 cloned animals, two beef and 4 cows, all derived from a single cow and a single bull. It has been determined that, even though the meat and dairy products produced from these animals have higher levels of fat and fatty acids, the products still fall “within the beef industry standards.”
Studies will be continued so that products from these animals can be labeled “safe for human consumption.” People will be reassured and encouraged to consume these products because they are within industry standards – “safe”, even though Americans (and increasing numbers of people in other countries that eat like Americans) are obviously having problems falling within acceptable weight standards. Americans are getting too fat, and they are being told to consume less fat. But we’re creating a more fatty product for them to eat. Go figure.
It is also stated in this article that “the team say that their results suggest cloning techniques could be used to boost food production, particularly in developing countries.” Not that these animals will be produced any quicker; it’s still going to take a cow to produce a cow, cloned or otherwise.
Also, one wonders how this will boost production, since the article also states that “most cloned animals to not make it to term before being born, and many of those that do are born deformed.” And there are some worries that seemingly healthy clones my have subtle defects that might make it unsafe to eat.
Between the juggling of “acceptable standards”, reproduction drawbacks and other caveats, there is one thing that is clear. Cloned animals can be patented. They can be “owned” and therefore can be a controlled (and more expensive?) food source.
Between the lines, it would seem that all this research effort is not focused on the physical or economic health of the consumer. But someone will be making a lot of money on it.
The Queen of Amerindia