An ethical taxonomy of genome edited animals

Scientific advances in genome editing (GE) of animals are progressing rapidly, but the ethical debate lags behind and the regulation of the applications differ widely across the world and remains unsettled in many jurisdictions. Much of the recent technological momentum stems from advances in CRISPR-Cas-system, the dominating kind of New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), as GE and similar technologies are called in the EU. Many hold that since this is an emerging technology, often described as disruptive, it should be treated according to established GMO regulations (Ahmad et al, 2023; Kurenbach et al, 2021; Gelinsky and Hilbeck 2018), whereas others argue that production animals altered by this technology should be treated according to standards accepted for established breeding methods (Van Eenennaam, 2025). Hence, we ask two questions: Should GE of animals be subjected to additional ethical treatment beyond that of breeding? If yes, what is at morally stake in different applications of this technology in animal husbandry?