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The United Nations, as part of its sustainable development
goals, has placed a spotlight on the livestock industry, not least
the conflict between the environmental impacts of livestock farming
and the demands of a growing global population of almost 10 billion
by 2050 for meat, eggs and dairy products. This will require an
increase in protein production of around 50% from current
levels.
Ruminants such as cattle and sheep have traditionally served and
will continue to perform a valuable role in sustainable
agricultural systems, such as in Africa. They supply large volumes
of high value food and utilize low-value feed ingredients.
Ruminants are particularly useful in converting vast renewable
resources from rangeland, pasture, and crop residues or other
by-products into food edible for humans. They however have two
major adverse impacts upon the environment. Cattle and sheep for
example produce various greenhouses gases and release nitrogen and
phosphorus into the environment which can adversely affect air
quality, global warming, and soil and water pollution.
Methane is a major greenhouse gas emitted by ruminants and
nowadays there is considerable research effort devoted to reducing
these methane emissions. Phytochemicals, vaccines, dietary lipids,
and electron acceptors such as nitrate and ionophores have all been
studied as part of a methane reduction strategy. Good manure
management and anaerobic digestion also contribute to lowering the
environmental impact of ruminant production.
These policy challenges are widely recognized and are now being
addressed, particularly in the UK and New Zealand. A new UK
government report from the Committee on Climate Change recommends
that farmers must "significantly reduce methane" emissions from
livestock, including feeding animals "methane inhibiting
additives."
Reducing crude protein levels in dairy cow diets increases the
efficiency of nitrogen capture and reduces nitrogen excretion to
the environment. Similarly, reducing the over-feeding of phosphorus
to livestock and other ruminants is a powerful tool to decrease the
phosphorus content of manure.
Phosphorus is an essential element for the biological
development of both plants and animals. Animals have been bred and
raised successfully well before the advent of the market for
chemically-produced feed phosphates, as significant amounts of
phosphorus are already naturally available in animal diets.
A fundamental improvement in sustainability can be achieved by
improving ruminant production. Higher output of milk and meat from
ruminants reduces the number of animals required. This in turn
reduces feed requirements and the consequent environmental
pollution. There is considerable scope to improve dairy cow
efficiency in the European Union which will help in
sustainability.
There is considerable scope to improve dairy cow efficiency in
the EU as there are stark contrasts between EU countries. The
highest annual yields can be found in Denmark, Sweden, Estonia,
Finland, and Portugal (between 8,278 and 9,361 kg per head) and the
lowest in Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia (from 3,343 to 4,566 kg per
head). Improving production efficiency in Romania, Bulgaria and
Croatia could certainly reduce the number of cows needed for milk
production.
Future policy directions are to improve the nutritional quality
of meat and milk, to manage ruminant health without antibiotics and
to develop the use of new and novel feed ingredients such as wood,
microalgae, seaweeds and insects, Animal Pharm research
demonstrates.
Meat, especially beef, is a good source of protein in a balanced
diet, and of micronutrients such as iron, selenium, vitamins A, B12
and folic acid. Iron has a high bioavailability when derived from
meat, especially for children. Milk and other dairy foods,
particularly cheese, likewise provide important nutrients such as
calcium, magnesium, protein and fat.
In reality, ruminants yield more human food per unit of
human-edible feed consumed because most of their feed is obtained
from materials produced in large volumes that cannot be consumed
directly by humans. A crucial aspect of ruminant nutrition is that
a large proportion of most ruminant diets are various forages such
as hay, silage or fresh grass. This fact has frequently been
overlooked in assessments of the role of animals in food
production.
Figure 1: Role of ruminants in the Circular Economy to maximise
the value of cereals
On a global basis, less than 3.0 kg of grain are required to
produce 1.0 kg of meat from ruminants and less than 1.0 kg of grain
per kg of milk. Ruminants, both beef cattle and dairy cows, have
historically also been the main consumers of by-products from the
human food and biofuels industries.
To find out more the benefits and impacts, mitigation strategies
and future direction of ruminant production in agriculture
download a sample of our latest 60-page special report titled
The Role of Ruminants in Sustainable Agriculture 2020, authored by
Dr Clifford Adams.
Aquaculture revolution
Regarding fish production, there is also an exciting DNA genetic
revolution into new tools to manage the health of
intensively-reared aquaculture species to prevent and treat the
spread of infectious diseases and parasitic infestations. As with
ruminants, disease prevention is more cost-effective and
economically beneficial than an over-dependence on treatment,
Animal Pharm research shows.
An increase in protein derived from the aquatic environment is
considered to be critical for ensuring the human protein gap can be
closed. Wild capture has peaked and will at best be maintained at
current levels with effective management. Aquaculture will
therefore contribute almost all of future growth in aquatic protein
production.
Most commentators agree that future expansion of the industry will
be dependent upon innovation throughout the value chain. As
examples, sustainable diets with nutritional profiles optimized for
the health and productivity of each species (and their nutritional
value for the consumer) are essential, as are new biosecurity and
engineering solutions to minimize environmental impact and improve
animal welfare. Effective control of disease is therefore one of
the most important leading indicators of improved aquatic
productivity.
To find out more about treatments and technology that will
revolutionise farmed fishing
download a sample of our latest 130-page Aquaculture and the
DNA revolution special report, authored by Ian Thompson and Michael
Horne.
The role of feed phosphates
So where does the animal and fish feed come from? At around
three million tonnes the feed phosphate sector is smaller in size
compared to phosphate fertilizers, but it provides a significant
component of global demand, estimated at around 48 million tonnes
of nutrient, and is an even stronger driver in specific countries,
for example when looking at phosphoric acid trade in Europe or the
Americas (Brazil, Mexico), as well as Russia, China and other
South-East Asian countries for imports.
Because feed phosphates are a relatively niche industry, it is
even less transparent than fertilizers, so independent market
intelligence from Fertecon can provide even more needed market
insights. A significant amount is shipped around the world in
containers rather than bulk. So, in conclusion, the feed phosphates
industry structure tends to have fewer intermediaries, with more
producers selling directly to users as part of a wider bundle of
services.
To find out more about the market for animal feed phosphates download a sample of our latest
special report.
Posted 27 January 2020 by Alan Bullion, Director of Special Reports & Projects, Agribusiness, Energy & Natural Resources
