Carlos Back Vianna
Director of Marketing and Communications
Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST)
cvianna@cast-science.org
“Retaking the Field Volume 2: Strengthening the Science of Farm and Food Production” is a collaborative report from eleven universities and the SoAR Foundation. The report — the second in SoAR’s series — shows how scientists are solving some of the thorniest questions in food production and highlights research breakthroughs...
HPAI significantly threatens the U.S. agriculture industry, affecting various animal groups and food production sectors. The webinar explores the virus’ movement between different animal groups, the current state of the poultry and dairy industries, and strategies to mitigate the effects of HPAI based on lessons learned from past outbreaks.
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The recent CAST webinar presented an in-depth overview of the paper examining soil health’s critical role in enhancing crop production, ecosystem function, and biodiversity. Recognized by USDA-NRCS as the soil’s ability to function as a vital ecosystem, soil health encompasses essential processes such as filtering contaminants, cycling nutrients, supporting infrastructure,...
The CAST webinar on genome editing in agriculture provided an in-depth overview of the advancements and potential impacts of genome editing tools, initially described over a decade ago. The session highlighted how these technologies are now widely applied across a diverse range of crops and traits, offering promising advantages for...
The webinar on the CAST paper, Invasive Plant Species Management: Risk Assessment and Strategies, provided an in-depth exploration of key methodologies, applications, and the overall impact of managing invasive plant species. The presentation highlighted prevention as the most effective and cost-efficient approach to addressing invasive species, despite the challenges in...
The CAST webinar on this paper provided an in-depth overview of the roles and responsibilities of State Lead Agencies (SLAs) in enforcing and implementing pesticide labels and applications under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The discussion highlighted the crucial partnership between SLAs and the U.S. Environmental Protection...
This webinar provided an in-depth look into the evolving landscape of pesticide regulations and the challenges of balancing agricultural practices with environmental stewardship. For decades, growers worked to reduce pesticide impacts on non-target species, yielding both ecological and economic benefits through the conservation of beneficial species. Over time, however, the...
This webinar provided an in-depth look at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts to align pesticide regulations with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Based on the 2022 Workplan, “Balancing Wildlife Protection and Responsible Pesticide Use,” the discussion explored the EPA’s framework for reducing potential impacts on...
Explore the U.S. pesticide regulatory framework in this focused webinar on FIFRA and ESA compliance. Learn how the EPA’s pesticide registrations are shaped by endangered species protections, involving “biological evaluations” (BE) and consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). This session covers...
