Driving Sustainability in the Animal Food Industry: Insights from IPPE Education Programs

Written by: Taylor Lekin   |   February 26, 2024

Sustainability, Education

The recent International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Ga., served as a platform for industry leaders to come together and explore the intersection of sustainability and animal feed production. Two notable events, the Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit and the “Feed Your ESG” educational program, hosted by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), spotlighted the strides in advancing sustainability within the feed and agriculture sectors. 

At AFIA's half-day educational program on how feed relates to environmental, social and governance (ESG), industry experts and representatives explored ways the feed industry is making strides toward different aspects of the ESG pillars and challenges they are encountering. Mike Gauss, president at Kent Nutrition Group, and Anne-Marie Neeteson, global senior advisor of welfare, sustainability and compliance at Aviagen Group, offered actionable strategies for incorporating and measuring sustainability metrics into business practices, emphasizing the importance of aligning these efforts with a company’s core values.  

“When it comes to ESGs, many people are going to tell you what you should care about. Sustainability is your journey, and you must make it your own,” said Gauss. “For us, our ESG pillars are determined by our core values.”  

Lara Moody, executive director at the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), and Matt Sutton-Vermeulen, partner at The Context Network, also spoke at the program. They provided insights on how sustainability within the feed industry fits into the broader food supply chain and provides solutions for its customers. The entire program emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to sustainability in the animal food industry, in both prioritizing and executing ESG goals, and recognizing how those approaches can positively impact communities, industries and the broader supply chain.  

More on this program, including short videos, can be found in this Feed Navigator article and World-Grain article. 

The Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit, sponsored by the AFIA, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the Meat Institute, provided a broader perspective on sustainability initiatives across the meat, poultry and egg, and pork industries. Frank Mitloehner, Ph.D., director of the Clarity and Leadership in Environmental Awareness and Research (CLEAR) Center at the University of California, Davis, delivered a keynote address highlighting the potential for livestock to be part of the climate solution through methane reduction strategies.  

“We know that methane is what matters in animal agriculture. If we understand it and manage it well, we can be part of the climate solution,” stated Mitloehner, as he noted the importance of methane’s reduction in agriculture’s sustainability journey. 

Industry representatives echoed the call for collaborative efforts to achieve sustainability goals, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and sharing updates on their respective sustainability programs.  

More on this program can be found in this Meat + Poultry article and this Morning AgClips article.  

Several key themes emerged from these events:  

• The broader food and agricultural industries are interconnected and must work together to achieve their sustainability goals.  

• There is no one-size-fits-all approach and companies are still experiencing roadblocks, so the road to progress will not be straight. 

• Innovations in feed production not only contribute to environmental conservation but also offer solutions for downstream stakeholders in the food supply chain, such as quantifying and providing metrics on the environmental impact of feed choices.  

• As consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability in their purchases, industry stakeholders must recognize the importance of implementing strategies for identifying, implementing and measuring their efforts. They will be held accountable. 

As we reflect on the insights shared at IPPE, it becomes evident that sustainability is not merely a buzzword but a guiding principle that informs decision-making and drives innovation across the animal food industry.