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Making animal feed fit for the future

News | Published  12 February 2018

The Feed Behind Our Food report from Forum for the Future's Protein Challenge 2040 shows why retailers and foodservice need to care about what livestock is fed.

Food Retail /Food Service

The new The Feed Behind Our Food report from Forum for the Future's Protein Challenge 2040 shows why retailers and foodservice need to care about what livestock is fed.

More of us are asking who’s eating what in the food supply chain. As consumers wake up to the impact of livestock farming (14.5% of global emissions), fingers are pointing at feed production and processing, which makes up 45% of this total. Retailers like Waitrose are looking to their suppliers for more sustainable solutions, such as a shift from imported soy to local forage. 


“Today’s consumers value sustainable practices and transparency, and they expect retailers and food service to act as gatekeepers on their behalf.”—Lynsey Wenger, Chief Finance Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer, Calysta

Innovative solutions are attracting attention. New standards have been released for sustainable cricket and seaweed farming, helping to diversify feed sources. Food waste is also a focus: we’re hearing news of fish fed on distillery discards, and black soldier flies feasting on organic matter, to then be fed to chickens...How can companies tap into these solutions to future-proof their food supply chains?


The new The Feed Behind Our Food report from The Protein Challenge 2040 shows why retailers and foodservice need to care about what livestock is fed. It helps businesses to understand the risks & opportunities posed by animal feed in their supply chain, and to start working with suppliers to make animal feed fit for the future.

How much can you find out about who’s eating what in your food chain? Who needs to offer some clues?


Share your feedback on the report or get in touch to help Forum for The Future build a new Feed Compass tool that will help the food industry make better choices about animal feed.

 

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT: The Feed Behind our Food 

 

Forum for the Future is one of Eating Better's supporting organisations

 

Images, some rights reserved:

9th Annual BioFuels Science and Sustainability Tour by National Renewable Energy Lab (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Improved Food Security by USAID U.S. Agency for International Development (CC BY-NC 2.0)