GENETIC ENGINEERING OF FARM ANIMALS

That this House notes with concern the development of genetically engineered farm animals designed to achieve increased growth or yield, such as the transgenic chicken with cow growth gene for which a patent application has been made to the European Patent Office; fears that such genetic engineering will have an adverse effect on the welfare of farm animals; further fears that transgenic animals designed to grow faster will be the victims of severe stress; believes that it is ethically unjustifiable to genetically engineer farm animals for increased productivity at the expense of the welfare of those animals or to patent them; and therefore calls upon the Government to impose a moratorium on the genetic engineering of farm animals for increased growth or yield until there has been a full public debate on this subject and to establish an Ethics Commission to facilitate public debate on this and other contentious ethical issues relating to the genetic engineering of animals.