From embryo flushing to in vitro production: global trends in livestock reproductive biotechnology

Livestock embryo biotechnology is undergoing a transition from conventional in vivo-derived (IVD) embryo production to laboratory-based in vitro embryo production. This study analysed global trends in embryo production/collection and embryo transfer in domestic farm animals using International Embryo Technology Society data for 2017–2024. Embryo activity was classified by year, region, species, activity and technology, and the proportional contribution of in vitro-produced (IVP) embryos was quantified using an IVP adoption index. Temporal trends, chi-square tests, regional and species comparisons, association analyses and exploratory cluster analysis were used to describe adoption patterns. Global embryo production/collection increased from 1,532,240 embryos in 2017 to 2,468,600 in 2024, while embryo transfers increased from 1,193,424 to 1,795,956. This growth was driven mainly by IVP, whose adoption index increased from 64.9% to 84.8% for production/collection and from 62.9% to 80.4% for transfers. The IVD/IVP distribution changed significantly between 2017 and 2024. Cattle dominated global embryo activity and showed the strongest IVP adoption, whereas sheep, goats and horses displayed lower or more heterogeneous patterns. Regionally, North America and South America showed high embryo volumes and high IVP adoption, while Europe retained a larger IVD contribution. These findings indicate that IVP has become the main driver of recent growth in livestock embryo biotechnology, although adoption remains species- and region-dependent.