Improving animal feed products

Humans depend on livestock for meat, milk, wool, furs, skins, biofuels, and a host of other important products. Their importance in human society corresponds to the vast resources needed for their production, such as land for grazing, as well as the substantial environmental impact this entails. One approach to reducing the environmental degradation of livestock production may be by improving livestock feed. Improved feed qualities may, among others things, lower methane emissions from ruminants (currently responsible for 3% of total greenhouse gases) and lead to more efficient conversion of feed into meat and milk (permitting smaller herds, thus reducing deforestation for grazing land).

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommends improving productivity, nutritional quality and shelf-life of animal feed products, including work on pre- and post-harvest losses.