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Sustainable Food Production: The Contribution of Genome Editing in Livestock

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  • Alejo Menchaca

    (Fundacion IRAUy, Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, 12200 Montevideo, Uruguay
    Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Unidad Mixta Pasteur INIA, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay)

Abstract

The growing demand for animal source foods to feed people has been pushing the livestock industry to increase productivity, a tendency that will continue throughout this century. The challenge for the coming years is to increase the food supply to ensure equity in access to high quality food, while maintaining global sustainability including combating climate change, avoiding deforestation, and conserving biodiversity, as well as ensuring animal health and welfare. The question is, how do we produce more with less? Classical methods to enhance livestock productivity based on the improvement of animal health, nutrition, genetics, reproductive technologies and management have made important contributions; however, this is not going to be enough and thus disruptive approaches are required. Genome editing with CRISPR may be a powerful contributor to global livestock transformation. This article is focused on the scope and perspectives for the application of this technology, which includes improving production traits, enhancing animal welfare through adaptation and resilience, conferring resistance to infectious diseases, and suppressing pests and invasive species that threaten livestock. The main advantages and concerns that should be overcome by science, policy and people are discussed with the aim that this technology can make a real contribution to our collective future. This review is part of the special issue “Genome Editing in Animal Systems to Support Sustainable Farming and Pest Control”.

Suggested Citation

  • Alejo Menchaca, 2021. "Sustainable Food Production: The Contribution of Genome Editing in Livestock," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:12:p:6788-:d:575642
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hannah A. Grunwald & Valentino M. Gantz & Gunnar Poplawski & Xiang-Ru S. Xu & Ethan Bier & Kimberly L. Cooper, 2019. "Super-Mendelian inheritance mediated by CRISPR–Cas9 in the female mouse germline," Nature, Nature, vol. 566(7742), pages 105-109, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rim Lassoued & Janet Music & Sylvain Charlebois & Stuart J. Smyth, 2023. "Canadian Consumers’ Perceptions of Sustainability of Food Innovations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-22, April.

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