Past CAST Publications Continue to Resonate with Recent Research

Serving as a resource for credible, science-based information can be challenging in this day and age. Scientists all over the world are busy working to find the latest scientific breakthrough in hopes of improving the productivity and sustainability of the agricultural industry. CAST staff is constantly overwhelmed with an abundance of content to sort through in order to provide you with the most well-rounded and relevant information week after week. One thing we find very exciting is that content often aligns perfectly with previously published CAST publications. To browse a list of past CAST publications, click here.

Process Labeling

We live in a world of labels, and even though information is crucial, some labeling leads to confusion, negative views, and misunderstanding. In October 2015, CAST released an issue paper--Process Labeling of Food: Consumer Behavior, the Agricultural Sector, and Policy Recommendations--that looks at the impact labeling has on the food industry in relation to the choices consumers make, the way labeling affects the adoption of technology, and the influences labeling might have on the amount of money spent for research and product development. Here are some recent articles that support the research provided in our paper:

• In an email to suppliers on May 18, Whole Foods announced the company would pause its genetically modified (GM) food labeling requirements. 
• Missouri is one step closer to being the first state to enact labeling that makes it clear if "meat" is sourced from an animal or not. 

Bee Research

Sunday, March 20, was the celebration of #WorldBeeDay to help raise awareness and attention to the importance of protecting and preserving bees and other pollinators all over the world. Pollinators are responsible for one-third of our human diets by volume and are extremely important to the success of the agricultural industry. In June 2017, CAST released a paper--Why Does Bee Health Matter? The Science Surrounding Honey Bee Health and What We Can Do About It--that summarized the scientific issue, current research, and recommendations related to bee health. Here are some recent articles that support the research provided in our paper:

• NC State's new bee hotels, designed and built for the campus community, are providing vital habitat for North Carolina's native bee population. 
• This researcher aims to improve honey bee health by developing and enabling a novel method to increase honey bee resistance to viruses using a natural bacterial symbiont. 
• An on-the-farm study found that using fungicides in tandem with insecticide sprays can be extremely life threatening to the bee population.  
• Should you ever meet this 75-year-old Arkansas beekeeper, two things are for certain: you'll laugh and learn lots of interesting things about bees. 

Animal Welfare

Many conflicting values and norms in our society related to the use of animals lead to increasing disagreements about what constitutes a "good life" for the animals in our care. Last month CAST released a task force report--Scientific, Ethical, and Economic Aspects of Farm Animal Welfare--that addressed the issue by examining these key topics: the current issues facing agricultural animal production; insights into the origins of current welfare concerns; major scientific advances that have occurred since the 1997 CAST Task Force Report; and outstanding challenges and priority areas for future research, collaboration, and outreach relative to agricultural animal welfare. Here are some recent articles that support the research provided in our paper:

• A recent study shows that simple drinker positioning methods have been shown to increase the cleanliness of pigs' dedicated lying areas and maximize pig welfare.  
• This researcher discusses the stunning methods currently used at slaughter and how an inefficient or inappropriate stunning technique can result in carcass degradation, production loss, and poor animal welfare.

By: Kylie Peterson