Assessment of biotechnology in animal nutrition

The evaluation of new biotechnologies in livestock production is often done with reductionist; biological criteria such as liveweight gain or feed efficiency, and in isolated, artificial and homogeneous experimental conditions. Too often, the recommendation to apply a specific technology, tested under experimental conditions, assumes that the introduction will not affect other parts in the system. Looking at the animal, farm and farming community as a system provides a more comprehensive framework for assessing the potentials and risks of applying biotechnology in animal nutrition.