Published 23/06/2011

Please support Eurogroup for Animals' new campaign, Clone-Free-Food, and help call for an end to the use of cloning for food production in Europe. Compassion is a member of Eurogroup and our CEO Philip Lymbery sits on their Board. 

The cloning of animals causes great suffering both for the cloned animals and for the surrogate mothers that carry them to birth. Cloned embryos tend to be large and, if not miscarried, can result in painful births - a high proportion of which have to be carried out by Caesarean section.  Many clones die during pregnancy or birth. Those that survive do not lead a happy life; a significant proportion die in the early days and weeks of life from problems such as heart, liver and kidney failure, respiratory problems and immune deficiencies.

Compassion believes that:

• the sale of food from clones should be prohibited
• the sale of food from the offspring of clones should be prohibited
• cloning should play no part in Europe's farming. This mean the EU should ban cloning, the use of clones and their offspring on Europe's farms and the import from outside Europe of the semen and embryos of clones.

Compassion in World Farming is extremely disappointed that the EU Agriculture Ministers, led by the UK, refused to agree with the EU Parliament who wanted a ban on the sale of food from clones and their descendants. This led, earlier this year, to the collapse of talks on the proposed EU Novel Food Regulation.

We are not alone in our views: The Europa Barometer report found that:

• 61% of EU citizens said cloning of animals is morally wrong
• 83% said that special labelling should be required.

The European Commission has said that it will publish proposed legislation on cloning in the next year or two.  Compassion believes the debate on cloning must continue.

Take action

We are writing to and meeting with MEPs and decision makers. You can help too by signing the petition or by writing to Agriculture Minister, Jim Paice MP >>