Contribution of animal feed to sustainability, health and well-being of poultry production

Animal feed is the first link in the food chain and is essential to ensure animal health and food safety. With the resilience that characterizes it, the industry has been researching and innovating over the years to adapt to new demands and concerns related to the health, well-being and sustainability of livestock production. In this sense, various nutritional management strategies have been described that contribute to achieving the objectives of improving the health status of poultry farms, reducing the use of antimicrobials, improving animal welfare and reducing the environmental impact of production.

Keywords: Animal nutrition, sustainability, health, wellness.

Contribution of animal feed to the health, welfare and sustainability of poultry production systems

Animal feed represents the first link in the food chain production and is an essential element to guarantee animal health and food safety. With its proven resilience, the industry has spent years working in research and innovation to adapt to new demands and concerns regarding the health, welfare and sustainability of livestock production. In this sense, various nutritional management strategies have been developed that contribute to achieving the following objectives: improving the health status of poultry, reducing the use of antimicrobials, protecting animal welfare and reducing the environmental impact of intensive systems.

Keywords: Feed, sustainability, health, welfare.

Animal feed

Animal feed represents more than 65% of production costs of animal production farms (GO INPULSE, 2022), indicating the need to optimize the determination of nutrient requirements and maximize nutrient supply to achieve greater efficiency. Likewise, diets should be formulated taking into account both the nutritional needs of each animal species and the stage of production and their health status, so as to prevent nutritional deficiencies with important implications for animal health, immunity and well-being. . New demands regarding sustainability and reduction in the use of antimicrobials mark the use of ingredients in the nutritional management of feed that contribute to improving the digestive health of animals and preventing infections.

The Spanish animal feed sector not only leads feed production in the European Union, but also exports worldwide (CESFAC, 2023). The feed industry is part of a chain of sectors that contribute to ensuring a safe and quality food supply (GO INPULSE, 2022). From this position, the animal nutrition sector works every day to improve food safety, to increase knowledge about the nutritional needs of animals and to acquire the tools to achieve the objectives and technologies set at the regulatory and scientific level. An example of this is a new publication from the European Federation of Compound Animal Feed Manufacturers (FEFAC) on advanced animal feeding strategies to support the transition to more sustainable and rounded livestock and aquaculture production, developed in collaboration with companies. Those who participate in FEFAC. Animal Nutrition Committee and its member associations.

Therefore, the traditional objective of maximizing animal growth and production in the shortest possible time is being displaced by new animal feeding strategies aimed at improving digestive health, immunity and animal well-being. At the same time, sustainability is gaining more importance, becoming a strategic and priority objective for companies, which is why it is starting to be integrated into the operations of workers at various levels, from the supply of raw materials with a low carbon footprint. For food formulations that aim to reduce emissions from the animals that ingest them.

Farm to Fork Strategy

The European Commission’s Farm to Fork Strategy is part of the European Green Deal and integrates as its main objective the transition to a sustainable food system, from production to consumption, reducing the environmental footprint of food systems, strengthening their resilience in times of crisis. And continue to ensure the availability of healthy and affordable food for future generations.

Among the specific objectives set by the Farm to Fork strategy, the following are mentioned:

1. Reduces the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 50% and reduces the use of the most dangerous pesticides by 50%,
2. Reducing nutrient loss by at least 50% without degrading soil fertility, thus reducing fertilizer use by at least 20%
3. A 50% reduction in sales of antimicrobials for farm and aquaculture animals, and
4. Ensure that at least 25% of EU agricultural land is dedicated to organic farming and that organic aquaculture is significantly increased.

In order to fulfill the objectives set out in the strategy, proposals have been prepared to review the existing legislation on animal welfare (animal breeding, transport and slaughter), to review the regulation on feed additives to reduce the environmental impact of livestock farming. and creating a sustainable food labeling framework, among others.

This article appears in Issue 8 (December 2023). Avium. Subscribe here to get full access to this and other magazine content.