IFEEDER Fodder

The International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) is an important opportunity for meetings and networking and also where great opportunities for learning occur. I had the opportunity to participate in the Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit, hosted by the American Feed Industry Association, Meat Institute, and U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.

In the tapestry of sustainability and innovation, there are stories that serve not just as individual successes but as rallying cries for entire industries. One such unfolding narrative centers around the urgent need for sustainable agriculture—a call that reverberates from the fields to the boardrooms, from rural communities to urban centers. While some players, like Novonesis, have set important precedents, the full story is yet to be written.

As the agrifood sector seeks opportunities to use feed to reduce the environmental footprint of animal production, the discussion focused on the importance of innovation in its many forms — linking solutions from feedstuff production to the rations consumed by the animals.

Feedstuff production on the farm may be a leading source of the environmental footprint for livestock, poultry, horses and pets, but it doesn’t mean it will be the best solution for reducing it. Regenerative agriculture, climate-smart practices and efforts to improve soil health are agricultural practices that receive a lot of attention by stakeholders for reducing t animal feed’s footprint, but I would argue that we must give equal attention to some of the animal food industry innovations in the pipeline that will offer solutions as well.  

Over the past year, I’ve been lucky to collaborate with many American Feed Industry Association and Institute for Feed Education and Research staff and members, forging the first-ever partnership between our organizations. The goal was to elevate a vision that feed and animal nutrition can be a critical lever in providing sustainable solutions to food systems.

Are you a “value creator?” If you haven’t heard this term – keep reading! McKinsey & Company recently conducted a global survey on how companies capture the value of sustainability. Below are four things I learned about the benefits of a company having a sustainability program within their organization from the “Creating Value with Sustainability: Survey.”

During the recent International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta, Ga., it seemed to me that sustainability was on the minds of many attendees and exhibitors. It could be that I was especially tuned into the topic with the launch of the Institute for Feed Education and Research’s Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit during the show, but let me give you some context.

The Protein PACT for the People, Animals & Climate of Tomorrow unites partners including the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) across the animal agriculture supply chain in the largest-ever effort to strengthen animal protein’s contributions to the people, animals and climate of tomorrow. Following the Protein PACT’s launch in July 2021, the North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) and our partners have been hard at work to set measurable baselines, verify progress toward ambitious achievements and communicate transparently about how nutrient-dense animal-sourced foods contribute to sustainable food security solutions.