March 2017 Articles

Archives by Months

Strain Appointed to National Agricultural and Science Board

Strain Appointed to National Agricultural and Science Board
Baton Rouge, La. (February 14, 2017) — Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., is the newest member of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) Board of Trustees (BOT). CAST, which is based in Iowa, includes members with agricultural, research, biotechnology, business and nonprofit backgrounds.
CAST addresses issues pertaining to animal sciences, food sciences and agricultural technology, plant and soil sciences, and plant protection sciences through publications. According to its website, CAST has published more than 400 documents that are all reviewed by reputable scientific experts. As a BOT, Strain will provide an oversight role and will review proposed publications.
“CAST board members are trying to work more closely with state departments of agriculture on issues their publications may be addressing in the future,” said Strain. “I was selected because of my science background as a doctor of veterinary medicine and my focus on the importance of science.”
CAST’s science-based information is made available to policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public. CAST BOT members include agricultural experts and academia who will share their knowledge and perspectives concerning emerging issues and challenges facing agriculture and food production systems including policy issues, animal welfare, food safety and security, energy, and the environment.
CAST is a nonprofit organization. It was established in 1972 following a meeting by the National Academy of Sciences.
Some of its member societies include: American Association of Avian Pathologists, American Association of Bovine Practitioners, American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources–Agricultural Management, American Dairy Science Association, American Meat Science Association, American Meteorological Society, Committee on Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, American Society for Nutrition, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, American Society of Animal Science, American Society of Plant Biologists and the American Veterinary Medical Association. Nonprofit Organizations include: American Farm Bureau Federation, Animal Agriculture Alliance, Animal Health Institute, Biotechnology Industry Organization and Crop Life America. Source: www.ldaf.state.la.us