Setting a Framework, Strategic Objectives on Sustainability
The Institute for Feed Education and Research recognizes that the pressures to comply with climate and other sustainability goals are mounting, so it is diligently developing tools and resources animal food companies can use now and into the future to be successful. IFEEDER’s Sustainability Road Map effort is providing an adaptable framework to guide animal food companies on their sustainability journeys, so they can make measurable progress.
Each company using the framework will find that it can be easily customized to their organization’s vision, mission, values and culture, making it easier for all employees and suppliers to see how their roles contribute to building trust, reducing risks and creating value. See the Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit for details.
Goals for Phase 2 of the Sustainability Road Map Project
IFEEDER established the following strategic objectives to guide Phase 2 of its Sustainability Road Map work. The objectives were created with insights from the first phase of work, undertaken in 2022, the September 2022 Feed Systems Sustainability Summit, the Sustainability Road Map advisory committee members and other animal food value chain stakeholders.
OBJECTIVE 1: Data & Information Management Strategy
Work completed during the first phase of IFEEDER’s Sustainability Road Map project, along with insights gleaned from the 2022 Feed Systems Sustainability Summit and subsequent stakeholder conversations, illuminated the fact that there is misalignment and inconsistencies in data and information management strategies. In phase two of the Sustainability Road Map project, IFEEDER strives to play a leading and collaborative role within the industry to advance the quantity and quality of data to support the industry’s efforts in meeting the measurement, reporting and verification needs of its customers across several key indicators and metrics.
OBJECTIVE 2: Advance Sustainability Research
With today’s focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for future water scarcity, the animal food industry needs to better communicate the environmental benefits of innovations in the pipeline for animal food ration development, ingredients and additives. To date, corporate and academic research have only highlighted the benefit, efficacy, cost and on-farm value of those innovations, without considerations for their sustainability impacts. In phase two of the Sustainability Road Map project, IFEEDER will work with industry to better quantify and communicate the sustainability impact of innovations to stakeholders, placing greater value on the industry’s role in helping them meet their sustainability objectives, while meeting ours.
OBJECTIVE 3: Coordinate Life Cycle Assessments
Life cycle assessments (LCA) are used to analyze the environmental impacts associated with a product throughout its lifetime (e.g., from crop to feed company to retailer to farm), with an aim of helping business leaders prioritize how they can improve their processes or products. LCAs are a growing trend in the United States to support customer and consumer demands for accountability and transparency in the supply chain. During phase two of the Sustainability Road Map project, IFEEDER seeks to take a leading and collaborative role within the U.S. food, animal feed and pet food industry to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of LCAs to measure and make progress on impacts that are important to industry’s customers and industry.
OBJECTIVE 4: Educational Resources, Training & Collateral
The Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit provides an ‘on-ramp’ of practical tools, resources and insights that can be put into action now for companies seeking to solidify sustainability’s role in their corporate cultures and decision-making. The first version, released in January 2023, will be expanded upon as additional resources are developed. The ability to clearly articulate the value proposition for each sector in the U.S. animal food value chain has been identified as a need that would further enable members to advance their sustainability strategies.
Join Us for Phase 2 of the Sustainability Road Map Project!
Donors at every level are guaranteed a seat at the table with other business leaders guiding IFEEDER’s sustainability work. Make a difference for your company and industry.