While cattle producers embrace biotechnology when it comes to healthy and productive livestock, they say President Biden’s Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovations goes astray by supporting cell-cultured protein products.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association encourages the administration to support the biotechnology innovations already occurring in the cattle industry, said Don Schiefelbein, NCBA president.

“Technology like gene editing is critical to improving cattle health and wellbeing, while also helping the U.S. cattle industry demonstrate climate neutrality by 2040,” he said.

Such tools are necessary to build on cattle producers’ legacy as sustainable providers of beef to consumers in the U.S. and around the world, he said.

“Unfortunately, we are extremely disappointed that this executive order also addresses fake meat production under the guise of food security. Supporting cell-cultured, fake meat products is the wrong approach, and the administration should remain focused on supporting America’s farmers and ranchers,” he said.

Cattle producers play an important role in ensuring food security, and NCBA has long fought for policies that help producers remain in business, NCBA said in a statement.

U.S. Cattlemen’s Association also opposes the provisions of the executive order calling for the advancement of foods produced using cell-cultured technology.

U.S. cattle producers are regular consumers of products developed using biotechnology, from livestock feed derived from genetically modified ingredients to medically important vaccinations administered to livestock to treat and prevent disease, USCA said in a statement.

However, the executive order directs the secretary of agriculture to submit a report assessing how to use biotechnology and biomanufacturing for food and agriculture innovation, including cultivating alternative food sources.

USCA also pointed out a senior administration official further specified the administration is looking to improve food security and drive agricultural innovation, including through foods made with cultured animal cells.

“The cultivation of animal cells for human consumption does not further the goals of the Biden administration in supporting independent agricultural producers. Instead, it promotes corporate and consolidated control of the food supply system,” said Brooke Miller, USCA president.

Cell-cultured products cannot be independently produced — the technology is shrouded in intellectual property protection and requires intensive capital resources, he said.

“These factors could lead to the monopolistic control of America’s sovereign food supply that we see already today in the U.S. livestock and meat industries,” he said.

USCA applauds the Biden administration’s $1 billion investment (announced earlier this year) to beefing up independent producers and processors of wholesome, nutrient-dense animal protein, he said.

“However, this executive order flies in the face of that investment by proposing increased funding and support for the massive, multinational corporations that are behind the production of cultured animal cells,” he said.

“The record profits these companies have made off the backs of cattle producers should be more than enough to fund their petri-dish protein production. U.S. taxpayers should not foot the bill for a product that we aren’t even sure is safe for human consumption,” he said.