IFEEDER Newsletter: Volume 9, Issue 10

October 22, 2024

Supporting Success

Each fall at the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), we look back on what we have accomplished over the year and look forward to the projects underway. Publishing our annual update gives us a chance to let you know how we have been stewarding the resources you provided, and it gives us a chance to recognize you.

Because we can never say it enough: Thank You! Thank you for your input, thank you for your contributions, and thank you for sharing our content with your colleagues. Your assistance has moved IFEEDER toward its growth trajectory; since 2021, IFEEDER has doubled the number of active project dollars spent annually on animal feed and pet food projects. And, to support that success, the communications team has tripled our content distribution with a monthly newsletter and blog amplified by social media.

By reading this, you are becoming a more informed stakeholder. You are supporting our success. Take a moment to share this newsletter with a colleague, forward it on so they too can see our annual update and learn how IFEEDER is investing in the animal feed and pet food industry.

Project Updates

Sneak Peek at New Life Cycle Assessment Resources

Next month, IFEEDER is planning to roll out a set of resources focused on life cycle assessments (LCAs). Results from industry interviews indicate that it is increasingly prevalent for animal feed and pet food organizations to pursue product LCAs. Nine of 15 interviewees indicated that they either had an LCA underway or had one or more LCAs completed. The remaining six generally believed that they will undertake an LCA in the next five years. Beyond greenhouse gas emissions, top environmental impact areas included in LCAs were land use change and water consumption.

To support this increased interest, IFEEDER’s new resources (developed by The Context Network with input from the Sustainability Road Map advisory committee), will include tools to help you navigate LCA. The resource will include:

Feed and pet food industry insights.
LCA process overview.
Glossary of terms.
LCA decision tree.
Profiles of LCA regulations, standards, datasets, software and practitioners.

Stay tuned for more on this in next month's newsletter.

In the Media

IFEEDER Releases Annual Update

IFEEDER has released its latest annual update, summarizing its efforts to advance a sustainable animal feed and pet food supply chain through research and education. Over the past year, IFEEDER has collaborated with industry partners and stakeholders on several projects aimed at addressing the evolving needs of the animal food industry.

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IFEEDER Website Receives MarCom Recognition

This past December, IFEEDER launched its new website to be a better resource for its audiences, stakeholders and diverse partners across the broader food and agricultural sector. The website redesign project received an honorable mention in this year’s MarCom Awards, which honors excellence in marketing and communications.

IFEEDER Fodder Blog

Click the links below to read the latest IFEEDER Fodder blog posts.

Powering Profitability: How Feed Industry Companies Are Addressing Energy Use for Long-Term Sustainability

By: Erica Burson

Energy, including fuel, electricity, heating, cooling and steam generation, is a significant cost for the feed industry. Several members of the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) have been working to reduce energy costs by switching to more efficient equipment, developing more efficient processes and investing in renewable energy generation.

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Kenny Berg Research and Education Fund Adds Value to Liquid Feed Industry

By: Paul Davis, Ph.D.

At the AFIA, I am fortunate to have a wide variety of roles and responsibilities. Some are rooted in regulations and compliance, and some are closer to the farm gate. My heart will always lie with the latter. Perhaps working with AFIA’s Liquid Feed Committee best allows me to combine my formal education, scientific research and my passion for animal agriculture. It is through the Kenny Berg Liquid Feed Research and Education Fund, managed by the Institute for Feed Education and Research, that I’ve seen many valuable research projects come to life.

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