This timely Issue Paper (IP 45) includes a preface from Dr. Norman E. Borlaug and has been prepared as an update of CAST Paper No. 1, written by Dr. Borlaug in 1973. The authors of the current paper address (1) future demands facing agriculture; (2) the relationship of bioenergy and bioproducts to agriculture; (3) major issues impacting future U.S. agricultural productivity; (4) major issues facing agricultural productivity in other parts of the world; (5) strategies to meet future food needs; and (6) examples of research areas that could enable the next “Green Revolution.”

Despite current uncertainty about the United States’ economic future, most reports suggest that growth will resume and competition for freshwater will continue.As one of the largest users of water in the United States, agriculture will be impacted significantly by changes in water availability and cost.

PART 8, “ANIMAL AGRICULTURE’S FUTURE THROUGH BIOTECHNOLOGY.” This new paper, “Animal Productivity and Genetic Diversity: Cloned and Transgenic Animals,” discusses two of the most recent reproductive technologies used to improve agronomic traits in livestock. One main limitation to the further development and use of these technologies has been the lack of public acceptance.

The use of individual gestation accommodations (IGAs) for dry sows in commercial pork production is an issue that has raised much debate. Public perceptions and misconceptions of welfare issues have the potential to dramatically impact swine production.

When producers decide which carcass disposal method to use, they must consider the number of mortalities, the cause of death and whether infectious agents are involved, environmental implications, regulatory requirements, operational costs, and efficiency.

Methods for the disposal of poultry carcasses currently include burial, incineration, composting, and rendering. Although each method is preferable under specific circumstances, each also presents disadvantages, including potential effects on groundwater and increasing cost considerations.

This Issue Paper provides a critical assessment of information available on methods of swine carcass […]

PART 7, “ANIMAL AGRICULTURE’S FUTURE THROUGH BIOTECHNOLOGY.” Infectious animal diseases continue to rank foremost among the significant factors limiting efficient production in animal agriculture. In addition, infectious agents that are transmitted from animals to humans by way of food and water present an increasing threat to the safety and security of the world food supply and continue to affect human health significantly.

This Issue Paper identifies the nature of gene flow and discusses the relatively limited situations in which it is likely to cause economic problems in the production of commercial biotech crops.

Controlled human studies have revealed a diverse range of health benefits from consumption of probiotics, due largely to their impact on immune function or on microbes colonizing the body. This publication reviews the literature on probiotics, describes the characteristics of probiotics, discusses the microbes that colonize the human body, and explains how probiotics can treat and prevent disease.