CAST

(Issue Paper)

This new Issue Paper will address two main topics of concern related to air associated with animal agriculture: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air quality. The authors will sort out differences between recent reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding livestock-related GHG emissions and will discuss the how different types of animal diet also affect GHG emissions. The paper also will contain a discussion of ammonia emissions that affect air quality, associated U.S regulations, and EPA activities relevant to animal agriculture. This Issue Paper will present scientific data specific to the U.S. and Canada and explain how and why these data compare with other parts of the world. Additionally, it will discuss how to reduce the environmental impact of livestock agriculture while preserving resources and quality of life.

Animal Productivity and Genetic Diversity: Transgenic and Cloned Animals (Issue Paper)
(Chair) Robert Wall, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Beltsville, Maryland
This Issue Paper, one of a nine-part series titled "Animal Agriculture's Future through Biotechnology," will provide a review of the complexities surrounding the issue of transgenic and cloned animals, focusing especially on the components of productivity and genetic diversity.

Convergence of Agriculture and Energy: III. Considerations in Biodiesel Production (CAST Commentary)
(Chair) Jon Van Gerpen, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Idaho, Moscow
Biodiesel is critical to the renewable production of transportation fuels and the reduction of dependence on fossil fuels. Many sources exist for the conversion of vegetable- and animal-derived fats and oils into biodiesel, but confusion exists about their relative energy value. This new Commentary will provide an understanding of the process of transesterification of triglycerides into biodiesel and its advantages, and it will outline sources of biorenewable triglycerides, their energy content, and production capability.

Ethical and Animal Welfare Implications of Animal Biotechnology: A Framework for Ethical Decision Making (Issue Paper)
(Chair) Paul Thompson, Department of Philosophy, Michigan State University, East Lansing
Ethical concerns about animal biotechnology usually fall into one or more of four major categories: (1) impacts on human health and safety, (2) animal welfare and animal rights, (3) environmental impacts, and (4) concerns that certain technologies are "unnatural." All four categories are important and are of concern to various interest groups and the public at large.

Fate and Transport of Zoonotic Bacterial, Viral, and Parasitic Pathogens during Swine Waste Treatment, Storage, and Land Application (Special Publication)
(Cochair) Jan Vinje, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
(Cochair) Dana Cole, Medical Epidemiologist, Atlanta, Georgia
In recent years, changes in the swine-production industry have coincided with increased health concerns from both citizens and farm workers. Leaking waste lagoons and airborne contaminants can pollute surface and ground water, spreading bacteria, viruses, protozoans, and parasitics. Antimicrobial, hormonal, nitrate, and antibiotic residues can cause serious health problems as well. This Special Publication, commissioned by the National Pork Board, reviews the issues at stake, outlines methods for reducing the threat of such hazards, and recommends future research and development.

Food, Fuel, and Plant Nutrient Use in the Future (Issue Paper)
(Chair) G. Edward Schuh, Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul
This Issue Paper will address the idea that the world’s ability to meet current and future food demand while protecting numerous interrelated ecosystem services will depend on advances in crop productivity through genetic improvement, soil conservation and management, and efficient use of nutrients. Topics will include the relationship among food production, land use, and nutrient use, and the capacity of natural resources to produce fertilizer nutrients.

*** Food Safety and Fresh Produce (Revision 2008) (CAST Commentary)
(Coauthor) William McGlynn, Horticultural Food Scientist, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
(Coauthor) Lynn Brandenberger, Vegetable Crops Specialist, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
Fresh produce safety continues to be of paramount importance. While the fresh produce industry is striving to improve its food safety record, consumers must continue to be aware of practices in the home which raise the risk of foodborne infection from their fresh produce. This Commentary will update the related 2003 publication by bringing together the current scientific research and recommended practices at consumer level that will reduce the risk of produce-borne illness.

Gene Flow in Alfalfa: Biology, Mitigation, and Potential Impact on Production (Special Publication)
(Chair) Allen E. Van Deynze, Seed Biotechnology Center, University of California, Davis
The introduction of biotech traits in alfalfa has caused scientists, seed producers, and government agencies to re-examine gene flow and its potential effect on adventitious presence of a biotech trait in nonbiotech forage or seed. Understanding the relative risk associated with possible modes of gene flow in alfalfa hay and seed production can help to develop rational mitigation strategies that minimize potential gene flow. This Special Publication discusses alfalfa biology, pollen- and seed-mediated gene flow potential in alfalfa, and strategies for successful gene flow management in alfalfa hay and seed production.

Pasteurellosis Transmission Risks between Domestic and Wild Sheep (CAST Commentary)
(Chair) Michael Miller, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Fort Collins
This publication is the first of a 6-part series dealing with livestock, wildlife, captive wildlife, and human disease interface. This Commentary will address the pathobiologic and epidemiologic issues regarding domestic and wild sheep and suggest strategies for sheep management, disease prevention, and resource management policy-making.

Poultry Carcass Disposal Options (for Routine and Catastrophic Mortality) (Issue Paper)
(Cochair) John P. Blake, Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University, Alabama
This Issue Paper will provide a comprehensive summary of the scientific, technical, and social aspects of various poultry carcass disposal technologies using information gleaned from a comprehensive report published by Kansas State University.

Ruminant Carcass Disposal Options (for Routine and Catastrophic Mortality) (Issue Paper)
(Chair) Marty Vanier, National Agricultural Biosecurity Center, Kansas State University, Manhattan
This Issue Paper will provide a comprehensive summary of the scientific, technical, and social aspects of various ruminant carcass disposal technologies using information gleaned from a Kansas State University comprehensive report.

Scientific Assessment of the Welfare of Swine Individually Housed in Crates or Stalls (Issue Paper)
(Chair) Stanley E. Curtis, Urbana, Illinois
Well-managed swine stalls and traditional group pens have been shown to produce generally similar states of well-being for pregnant sows in terms of physiology, behavior, performance, and health. Nevertheless, this long-term restriction in the freedom of movement has been, and continues to be, robustly criticized by some groups. This Issue Paper will examine several indicators of swine welfare and will offer a review of some of the most pertinent scientific literature focusing on the welfare of swine housed in crates or stalls.

Swine Carcass Disposal Options (for Routine and Catastrophic Mortality) (Issue Paper)
(Chair) Allen F. Harper, Virginia Tech Tidewater Agricultural Research & Extension Center, Suffolk
This Issue Paper will provide a comprehensive summary of the scientific, technical, and social aspects of various swine carcass disposal technologies using information gleaned from a Kansas State University comprehensive report.

*** Water and Land Issues Associated with Animal Agriculture: A North American Perspective (Issue Paper)
This Issue Paper will address specific water and land concerns related to animal agriculture. The authors will consider issues of water use and water quality associated with the livestock sector and the related environmental and economic impacts. The paper also will include a discussion of livestock land use, land degradation, land application of manure and manure-based composts, and deforestation related to farm policies. This Issue Paper will present scientific data specific to the U.S. and Canada and explain how and why these data compare with other parts of the world. Additionally, it will discuss how to reduce the environmental impact of livestock agriculture while preserving resources and quality of life.

Water, People, and the Future: Supply and Demand (Issue Paper)
(Chair) Sharon Megdal, Water Resources Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson
With a projected 25% and 50% increase in U.S. and world population, respectively, by the year 2050, substantial increases in freshwater use for food, fiber, and fuel production, as well as municipal and residential consumption, will occur. This Issue Paper will discuss the diverse current and future demands for freshwater resources, using specific U.S. states as examples.

Annotated Forthcoming