Resource Guide on
Sustainable Animal Feed

The global demand for animal protein products is increasing rapidly due to population growth, rising income, and changes in diets,[1] resulting in an increased demand for animal feed. While animal feed is an essential input to the animal protein industry, it also has a significant impact on the environment, including air, land, soil, water, and biodiversity. For instance, life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have estimated that feed production accounts for 70% of the carbon footprint of animal products.[2] Thus, meeting future demand for protein products in a sustainable way will require a wide range of strategies to tackle the environmental impact of feed production.

Since August 2019, The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) has been conducting the Feeding our Food Discussion Group with stakeholders to explore and share resources on feed sustainability. The information gathered through this discussion group provided initial material for TSC to develop this guide. The purpose of TSC’s Resource Guide on Sustainable Animal Feed is to provide resources and information specific to feed sustainability to help our members and community create, meet, and exceed their own feed sustainability goals. This resource guide is intended to support TSC members, sustainability professionals, processors, brands, and retailers interested in learning more about sustainable animal feed or seeking to improve their operations.

[1] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “Livestock and the environment,” accessed September 15, 2020, http://www.fao.org/livestock-environment/en/

[2] Alessandra Nardina Trícia Rigo Monteiro, and Jean-Yves Dourmad. “Life cycle assessment of feed ingredients.” SUMINAPP – Sustainable Usage of trace Minerals for Animal Production Programs (2018). DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.26695.75682.