Mark J. Estienne

CAST papers are developed by interdisciplinary task forces composed of volunteer authors, chairs, reviewers, liaisons, and translators from academia, industry, and government. This index recognizes those contributors and highlights the breadth of expertise that supports CAST’s work.

Publications as Author

March 5, 2009
Issue Paper

Scientific Assessment of the Welfare of Dry Sows Kept in Individual Accommodations

The use of individual gestation accommodations (IGAs) for dry sows in commercial pork production has raised significant debate, with public perceptions of welfare issues potentially impacting swine production. This nine-member international task force critically evaluates scientific evidence on IGAs for sows, examining behavior, nutrition and feeding, reproduction, health, manure management, worker safety, and system design. The authors find no compelling scientific evidence that either individual or group accommodation is, overall, more appropriate than the other.

Publications as CAST Liaison

July 16, 2008
Issue Paper

Swine Carcass Disposal Options for Routine and Catastrophic Mortality

This Issue Paper provides a critical assessment of information available on methods of swine carcass disposal under routine and catastrophic conditions. The authors have focused on efficiency and effectiveness of available methods as well as potential animal health and environmental protection considerations. The paper addresses the four predominant methods of mortality disposal in commercial swine production–burial, incineration, rendering, and composting–and various alternative and nontraditional methods and technologies.