The International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held their 23rd annual meeting, reinforcing their collaboration to advance safe, nutritious, and sustainable feed and food production.
The meeting was officially inaugurated by Mr. Thanawat Tiensin, Assistant Director-General and Director of the Animal Production and Health Division at FAO, alongside IFIF Chairman Mr. Ruud Tijssens. Addressing delegates representing over 80% of global compound feed production, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to addressing challenges within the feed and food chain through strengthened partnerships.
Mr. Tiensin highlighted the crucial role of the feed and livestock sector in driving sustainable transformation, emphasizing the need for cooperation across public, private, and sectoral boundaries. He remarked, “Livestock production is a cornerstone of agrifood systems, providing essential nutrition and economic opportunities worldwide.” The discussions focused on FAO’s vision for the sustainable transformation of the livestock sector, including reducing feed loss and waste, improving feed conversion efficiency, and mitigating environmental impacts and antimicrobial resistance.
Key Highlights and Initiatives
The meeting underscored several key areas reflecting IFIF and FAO’s joint commitment to sustainable livestock practices:
- Sustainable Livestock Transformation: IFIF’s ‘Road to 2050’ strategic initiative facilitates global stakeholder dialogues to promote food security and position feed as a critical solution for sustainable livestock production.
- Feed Safety Standards: Discussions included updates on Codex Alimentarius, addressing food safety foresight, emerging risks, and international standards to ensure feed quality and safety.
- Reducing Antimicrobial Use: FAO’s RENOFARM initiative and IFIF’s efforts to promote responsible antimicrobial use through nutritional innovation were highlighted as key measures to combat antimicrobial resistance.
- Global Feed Standards: The review of the International Cooperation for the Convergence of Technical Requirements for the Assessment of Feed Ingredients (ICCF) work plan emphasized global alignment on feed standards.
- Innovative Food Technologies: Emerging technologies like cell-based food and precision fermentation were explored, with discussions on safety standards and contributions to food security.
- Feed Sector in East Africa: Opportunities and challenges in East Africa’s feed sector were addressed, focusing on sustainable growth in emerging markets.
- Environmental Sustainability: Updates were shared on the Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership, the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL), and the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM), all promoting sustainable livestock practices.
Continued Collaboration and Achievements
IFIF Chairman Mr. Ruud Tijssens acknowledged FAO’s significant contributions to sustainable livestock sector transformation. He emphasized IFIF’s ongoing support for FAO initiatives, such as the LEAP Partnership, GASL, and feed safety capacity-building projects. He also celebrated the updated FAO-IFIF Manual on Good Practices for the Feed Sector as a milestone in promoting feed safety.
“Together with FAO, we are building a science-based approach to safe and sustainable animal nutrition, delivering affordable, high-quality food to a growing population. By producing more with less, we are advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” Mr. Tijssens said. “The quality of our collaboration with FAO strengthens each year, driving meaningful progress.”
Ms. Daniela Battaglia, Animal Production Officer at FAO, praised the partnership, particularly in areas such as feed safety and antimicrobial resistance. She reiterated FAO’s dedication to collaborating with the private sector to make livestock and food production more responsible and sustainable, ultimately supporting public health, animal welfare, and environmental goals.
