Animal feed innovations advance sustainability and circular bioeconomy

The animal feed industry is making significant strides in sustainability and circular bioeconomy through innovative feed ingredients and practices that improve efficiency, animal health, and environmental outcomes, according to experts at the Animal Agriculture Sustainability Summit at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE).

Dr. Charles Starkey, vice president of scientific and graduate affairs at the North America Renderers Association (NARA), highlighted the growing importance of aligning feed production with global sustainability frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and European Union regulations. “Proper ingredient selection should be a selling tool for everyone in the ingredient business,” Starkey said, emphasizing the economic incentives behind sustainable feed choices.

Feed accounts for up to 80% of the environmental footprint in animal production, including greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and land consumption. Innovations in feed ingredients, such as probiotics, enzymes, and postbiotics, are helping producers improve feed efficiency and reduce waste. For example, enzyme technologies increase nutrient availability, boosting animal growth while lowering the “invisible footprint” inside feed rations.

Circular bioeconomy principles are also gaining traction. The industry is focusing on recycling and reusing co-products and byproducts from food and agriculture to create feed ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. This approach reduces landfill use and mitigates disease risks associated with waste disposal. Starkey pointed to initiatives that convert grocery store vegetable waste into insect feed supplements as examples of circular innovation.

NARA and other industry groups have developed global metrics and life cycle assessment (LCA) tools to measure and communicate the environmental impact of feed ingredients. These tools provide nutritionists and producers with reliable data to optimize formulations and demonstrate sustainability gains to customers and consumers.

Sustainability efforts extend beyond livestock to pet food, which already incorporates about 50% upcycled ingredients. While pet food faces different challenges than livestock feed, such as maintaining animal health rather than efficiency, it plays a significant role in the circular bioeconomy.

Despite progress, some sectors like swine feed show room for improvement in circularity, with recent data indicating a decline in circular ingredient use. Meanwhile, aquaculture is emerging as a fast-growing industry adopting sustainable feed practices for over 300 species worldwide.

Starkey stressed that sustainability adoption depends on profitability and producer confidence. “Few producers will act in an altruistic manner if it costs them money,” he said. However, when sustainability improves efficiency, animal welfare, and environmental impact simultaneously, it creates a “win-win” scenario.

Collaboration across the supply chain—from ingredient suppliers to nutritionists, producers, retailers, and consumers—is critical to accelerating adoption. Transparent, standardized sustainability metrics build trust and enable market differentiation, creating incentives for producers to embrace innovative feed solutions.

Looking ahead, the industry is exploring multi-strain microbial consortia and precision feed additives integrated with digital dashboards that track environmental benefits in real time. These advances promise to further enhance feed efficiency and sustainability.