CAST Publishes Proceedings from the “Sustaining Animal Agriculture” Symposium
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) recently sponsored
a 3-day symposium in Washington, D.C. in cooperation with the United States
Department of Agriculture. Thirty-two presenters, speaking individually or as
panelists, addressed the topic of "Sustaining Animal Agriculture: Balancing
Bioethical, Economic, and Social Issues."
Critical issues addressed during the symposium included
• bioethical and animal welfare issues,
• analysis of certification and regulatory programs,
• integration of competing concepts surrounding the ethical use of food animals,
• long-term survival and food security,
• societal and global impacts, and
• consequences of decisions by consumer and government decision makers.
Proceedings from the CAST Symposium are now available [click here.] The PDF document contains both text presentations and PowerPoint slides from speakers who made their material available. After opening the PDF, readers should click on the “Bookmark” icon in the upper-left margin for easy navigation to any individual section of the document. To print sections of the document, note that there is a 7 page difference between the page numbers on the printed document versus the electronic PDF. For example, to print Jason Clay's paper listed on page 86, you would need to indicate pages 93 - 114 when sending to printer.
The prestigious 2010 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Dr. Akin Adesina, a distinguished scientist, leader, and communicator who has been working passionately for Africa’s Green Revolution.Dr. Adesina currently serves as a vice president for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), where he helps set policy and advises former U.N. Secretary Kofi Annan, the current Chairman of the Board of AGRA.A world-class scholar, Dr. Adesina influences policymakers with his informed speeches, published papers, and tireless leadership. Dr. Adesina will receive the award during the CropLife America (CLA) 2010 Annual Meeting on September 25, in Naples, Florida. This year's award is sponsored by the CropLife Foundation, an organization dedicated to science-based research and discovery in modern agriculture. To read the full article, click HERE.
DR. NORMAN E. BORLAUG
CAST Honors Longstanding Advocate
Dr. Norman E. Borlaug is credited with saving more lives than any other person who has ever lived. Widely known as the “Father of the Green Revolution” and “The Man Who Fed the World” for his pioneering work developing high-yielding wheat for areas with limited cultivated land and increasing population, Dr. Borlaug was a lifelong promoter and advocate for the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. (To read the entire article from CAST's Friday Notes, click HERE. And to read CAST Paper No. 1, written by Borlaug, click HERE.)
Donate to CAST
You Can Be a Part of CAST!
You can donate to the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) at any time. Your donations to CAST--a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization--support the search for and communication of objective science-based agricultural information. Your contribution to CAST benefits plants, animals, people, the environment and is an investment in the future of agriculture. To learn more about the many opportunities for supporting CAST, contact Melissa Sly, CAST Membership and Marketing Coordinator (515-292-2125, ext. 32; msly@cast-science.org).
Future of Farming
Farmers are Essential
Dirty Jobs' Mike Rowe has a theory:
"All jobs rely on one of two industries--mining and agriculture. Every tangible thing our society needs is either pulled from the ground, or grown from the ground. Without these fundamental industries there would be no jobs of any kind. There would be no economy. Civilization begins with miners and farmers, and polite society is only possible when skilled workers transform those raw materials into something useful or edible."
Click HERE to read about Rowe's keynote address at the National FFA Convention and his view of the future of farming.
Honest Communication
Did You Get the Message?
How careful are you about the words you choose? Do you always take care to consider their potential implication? Organizations purporting to be bearers of fact must state things clearly and honestly. How you say something really does matter, and for the message to be understood fully, it is imperative that the words provide an accurate assessment of the truth. CAST takes its responsibility of communicating science seriously. (Click HERE to read the full article from CAST "Friday Notes.")
Ethical Perspectives
Animal Rights and Wrongs
A New CAST Paper
Although both the Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority have concluded that meat and milk from cloned animals are safe, public perceptions about animal biotechnology continue to have an impact on current and potential applications of existing and future technologies. To address these and other pressing issues regarding the purpose and methods of animal biotechnology, CAST is releasing a new paper, Ethical Implications of Animal Biotechnology: Considerations for Animal Welfare Decision Making. This is the final part--Part 9--of the CAST series Animal Agriculture's Future through Biotechnology. (June 2010)
News Release
Successfully building agriculture has always required a cooperative effort; a gathering of the best available resources, ideas, energy, and time; and an accepted understanding that you don't wait until it starts snowing to put up a barn, and if you want to eat anything tomorrow, you better do something about it today. Through the combination of excellent INPUT for CAST publications, increased INVESTMENT in the communication of science-based agricultural information, and maximum IMPACT through distribution to large, diverse audiences, CAST can successfully build agriculture through cooperation. (To read the full article from CAST's Friday Notes, click HERE.)
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
Preparing for Agriculture's "Perfect Storm"
As it did in 1973 when Dr. Norman E. Borlaug wrote CAST Paper No. 1, agricultural policy continues to play a key role in issues that influence daily life. This current Issue Paper, Agricultural Productivity Strategies for the Future: Addressing U.S. and Global Challenges, is an update of Dr. Borlaug's paper and includes a preface from him. It is a forthright appraisal of contemporary and future challenges facing U.S. and world agriculture. The authors address several key issues and indicate that the convergence of so many challenges at one time is unprecedented. (January 2010)
News Release
The prestigious 2010 Borlaug CAST Communication Award goes to Dr. Akin Adesin.jpg)
Dr. Norman E. Borlaug is credited with saving more lives than any other person who has ever lived. 
You can donate to the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) at any time. Your donations to CAST--a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization--support the search for and communication of objective science-based agricultural information. Your contribution to CAST benefits plants, animals, people, the environment and is an investment in the future of agriculture. To learn more about the many opportunities for supporting CAST, contact Melissa Sly, CAST Membership and Marketing Coordinator (515-292-2125, ext. 32; 
Dirty Jobs' Mike Rowe has a theory:
How careful are you about the words you choose? Do you always take care to consider their potential implication? Organizations purporting to be bearers of fact must state things clearly and honestly. How you say something really does matter, and for the message to be understood fully, it is imperative that the words provide an accurate assessment of the truth. CAST takes its responsibility of communicating science seriously. (Click 
Although both the Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority have concluded that meat and milk from cloned animals are safe, public perceptions about animal biotechnology continue to have an impact on current and potential applications of existing and future technologies. To address these and other pressing issues regarding the purpose and methods of animal biotechnology, CAST is releasing a new paper, 
Capital Media Group has partnered with CAST to get the word out about one of the Earth's most important natural resources--WATER. A new video has been released in conjunction with Earth Day, highlighting CAST Issue Paper 44, 
Other CAST publications that explore water use, irrigation, and conservation include hard cover Special Publication 27, .jpg)
Successfully building agriculture has always required a cooperative effort; a gathering of the best available resources, ideas, energy, and time; and an accepted understanding that you don't wait until it starts snowing to put up a barn, and if you want to eat anything tomorrow, you better do something about it today. Through the combination of excellent INPUT for CAST publications, increased INVESTMENT in the communication of science-based agricultural information, and maximum IMPACT through distribution to large, diverse audiences, CAST can successfully build agriculture through cooperation. (To read the full article from CAST's Friday Notes, click .jpg)
As it did in 1973 when Dr. Norman E. Borlaug wrote 
