The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently hosted the Feed Systems Sustainability Summit at Chr. Hansen, Wisconsin, USA. Industry stakeholders met to identify ways to achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction, improve water and land use, and protect biodiversity, among others, through continuous improvements in feed systems.
Attendees shared their experiences and best practices for collaborating to incorporate sustainability into their companies’ culture, strategies, and services. Consistent definitions and standards, flexible and adaptable implementation, rigorous science and innovation, and accessible sustainability stories were the points that the stakeholders identified as necessary tools to achieve industry sustainability.
“We all have a role to play to advance sustainability within the feed system, yet we recognize that many companies are at different stages of their journeys,” said Lara Moody, IFEEDER executive director. “At the summit, we identified the ‘must haves,’ what barriers stand in the way, what opportunities exist, what partnerships or collaborations need to be established, and what we can do together to make meaningful progress.”
“It was great to launch this summit to shine a spotlight on feed. There is a sense of urgency needed to work within animal food systems on solutions to climate change and animal feed plays a such critical role,” said Courtney Hall, director of sustainable protein systems at the WWF-US. “It will be important to seize upon the momentum from the summit and find ways to accelerate and scale.”
The summit agreed on three collective fundamental steps toward the achievement of sustainability: enhancing or creating data systems and their components to clarify and quantify the role and impact of feed ingredients in achieving GHG emissions reductions and other commitments; creating a broader understanding of the unique value proposition feed sustainability has for each actor in the value chain; and continuing to share insights and case studies to build awareness and interest in activating feed systems as a climate solution.
The Feed Systems Sustainability Summit findings will be debated by project partners on November 16 in Glendale, Arizona, at the Sustainable Agriculture Summit during a session titled Activating Solutions to Meet the Need for Feed.
