94 Sustainable Feeding Solutions Across the Animal Kingdom: Identifying and Implementing

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2023-11, Vol.101 (Supplement_3), p.116-117
• Main Author: Dierenfeld, Ellen S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agricultural practices; Algae; Animal health; Animal species; Arable land; Beans; Biodiversity; Carbon; Carbon footprint; Carbon sequestration; Climate change; Cropping systems; Dehydration; Diet; Emission measurements; Emissions; Emissions control; Environmental impact; Farm buildings; Feed industry; Feeding; Feeds; Fermentation; Food; Food intake; Greenhouse gases; Harvesting; Hindgut; Ingredients; Innovations; Insects; Introduced species; Invasive species; Landfills; Livestock; Manufacturing; Pets; Protein sources; Proteins; Public health; Regenerative agriculture; Sawdust; Seaweeds; Soil water; Soybeans; Substrates; Sustainability; Sustainability management; Water balance; Water use; Wildlife management
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163
• DOI: 10.1093/jas/skad281.142

Abstract To meet planetary limits, proactive sustainable solutions must be rapidly elevated across various sectors of the feed industry, with attention from production/selection of raw ingredients through diet manufacturing and formulation processes to precision nutrition programs targeting all animal species including livestock and poultry, pets, and managed wildlife. Responsible sourcing encompasses commitments for tracking environmental impact metrics of feeding systems, with various public calculation tools available. Sustainability data are starting to be incorporated into ingredient descriptions and formulation software for more widespread and standard use as marketing, economic and/or important conservation messaging. Ingredient strategies for sustainable food systems include regenerative agriculture practices, which are typically more holistic and address local needs, with resultant environmental benefits such as decreased water use or increased soil health, biodiversity, and resilience. Substitution of pulses (peas, beans) or other proteins for soybeans, multiple layers/species incorporated into cropping systems, low water use ingredients (i.e., hempseed or sorghum) can result in more intact ecosystems, better water balance, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increased carbon sequestration, with measurable impacts. Such options will become even more critical for global health with continuing climate change. Bio-circularity, which increases the use of residues, by- and co-products, or incorporates excess food streams to provide value-added sustainable feedstuffs serves to decrease GHG emissions from landfills/compost and can reduce the risk of commodity crop land conversion. Such ingredients, often niche or opportunistic, represent nearly 30% of global feed intake and may decrease food-feed competition as well as free up global arable land. Byproduct portions often contain quite suitable nutritional as well as sustainable feed ingredient profiles, and can be further enhanced through dehydration, fermentation, or upcycling as dietary substrates for insects, which are then incorporated into diets as alternative protein sources. Examples of common circular ingredients include processed and spent fermented grains, as well as bakery, fruit/vegetable, and retail excesses. Feeding Innovations that improve the carbon footprint through increased efficiency, productivity and/or health can reduce pressure on production (both animal and feed manufactur