Sharing Feed's Story:
Information Analysis is Power
In the global feed industry, sharing information, both through capacity-building and analytical tools, is a powerful sustainability enabler.
By educating stakeholders and providing accessible decision-support tools, feed companies and associations can help raise standards, accelerate the adoption of best practices, and promote transparency across the value chain.
Despite high investment in this area, notable gaps impede action.
Learn more about tool development in the next section.
Tool & Report Development
A pillar of information sharing is the development of analytical tools and publicly available reports that allow feed companies, farmers, and supply-chain stakeholders to measure, benchmark, and improve environmental and operational performance.
For instance…
The Belgian Feed Association (BFA) has developed a harmonised calculation methodology for the climate impact of animal feed using the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) database and the European Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) framework.
Trouw Nutrition (part of Nutreco) has introduced tools such as 'MyMilkPrint' for calculating the environmental impact of dairy milk production and 'Watson®', which incorporates life-cycle assessment into decision support for swine feed and output
57% of IFIF 2025 stakeholder survey respondents see challenges measuring impacts and/or return on investment as a barrier to sustainability innovations reaching the market/being adopted
Often, the answer is we need less data than we think to make smart choices.
Closing the Data Gaps that Matter
While substantial investment has been made in data availability and related decision-making tools, there are some critical data gaps.
But data for data's sake can actually muddy, distract, or delay decision-making.
Mass species extinction, droughts, floods... these are urgent problems for us, and the real question is "How much information do we need to move in the right direction?".
Often, the answer is we need less data than we think to make smart choices.
CRITICAL INFORMATION GAPS
With that said, there are some critical information gaps IFIF has discovered in this systems analysis:
There are a few life cycle assessments (LCAs) of non-fossil-fuel-based specialty feed ingredients. So, ironically, some companies continue to use fossil fuel-based specialty feed ingredients because they don't know how to 'account' for alternative, non-fossil fuel-based ingredients. Imagine that, with the best of intentions, using fossil fuel-based ingredients for sustainability reasons.
Along with a key data gap, this highlights the challenge of treating overshooting planetary boundaries as an accounting problem rather than a fundamental flaw in our current growth-based economic system. But closing this data gap is a place to start that can enable 'right action'.
LCA data is also overrepresented on the (often fossil-fuel-based) micro-ingredient side compared to macro-ingredients.
This means companies can easily report on many vitamins, amino acids, and minerals, but still lack data on major commodities, such as soy, wheat, and rapeseed.
As an extension of that, the lack of (good-enough) traceability makes it challenging to incorporate sustainability parameters into procurement efforts.
there are some critical information gaps IFIF has discovered in this systems analysis.
Shared Knowledge Advancing Dairy Farm Management
While New Zealand dairy farmers recognise the need to lower emissions, they often lack the trusted data required to implement effective changes. The Headlands Consultancy project, supported by the New Zealand Feed Manufacturers Association, bridges this gap by modelling farm-system scenarios and openly sharing the results. This transparent, evidence-based approach provides a shared understanding of how genetics, stocking rates, and concentrate use interact to shape environmental and economic performance.
The project's findings prove that better information enables 'win-win' decisions: achieving up to a 16% reduction in GHG emissions and nitrogen losses alongside operating profit gains of up to 22% without sacrificing milk output. By putting actionable insights into the hands of producers and regulators, this initiative demonstrates how information sharing accelerates progress and builds the confidence necessary to drive sustainable, resilient farm systems nationwide.
Win-win scenarios: up to a 16% reduction in GHG emissions and nitrogen losses without reducing milk output, plus operating profit gains of up to 22%.
Education:
Making Information Useful
Data and information are only helpful if people know how to use them. Another area receiving good investment is education and training programs to equip feed industry professionals worldwide with the knowledge to improve feed efficiency, safety, and sustainability.
One example is FEEDLATINA, the Latin American network of feed associations, which runs a 'Programa de Educación Nutrición Sostenible' covering topics such as precision nutrition, the environment, productivity, and efficacy across 11 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Another example is the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF), which offers an
e-learning course on 'Good Production Practices in the Feed Industry,' developed in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), aimed at improving feed safety and the feed sector's capacity, especially in emerging markets.
These education efforts have global implications for the feed industry.
By standardising knowledge and improving competency, they raise the baseline for feed safety and sustainability practices. They also support better uptake of advanced feed-nutrition strategies and encourage feed companies in developing regions to keep pace with global best practices.
Learn more about 'A World Without Cows' in the next section.
The film is a powerful medium for opening a conversation about the cultural and economic significance of cattle, and their role in nourishing the people.
A WORLD WITHOUT COWS
A World Without Cows is a feature-length documentary exploring the impact of cows on our world: their cultural and economic significance, their role in nourishing people and their impact on climate.
It was filmed in over 40 locations worldwide and has received 16 film festival laurels to date. It is available in 24 languages and four full dubs. World Without Cows has been screened in more than 30 countries to date and is planning broad distribution and a companion education program for schools in 2026.
Alltech plans to bring World Without Cows into school curricula through programming designed to spark curiosity about farming and cattle in our global food system. This will come to life through age-appropriate storytelling, animations and activities.
Science-led storytelling uniting agri-food voices
Head over to a WorldWithoutCows.com to find a rich resource of additional content, including facts from the film and companion mini-documentaries that highlight stories from different regions.
For example:
The Battle for Balance ⟶
a short film that places the voices of cattle ranchers at the centre of today’s most urgent environmental conversations.
The Grass Ceiling ⟶
an exploration of Ireland and its pasture-based dairy system supported by 17,000 multigenerational farms, producing some of the world’s most carbon-efficient milk.
World Without Cows is the start of a science-led storytelling effort to unite voices in the agri-food industry and empower producers to be part of the solution.
This approach brings together farmers, ranchers and agriculture professionals globally to share stories and highlight how the industry is working to address both opportunities and challenges.
Opening a global conversation
The goal is to reach not only everyday consumers but also financial institutions, policymakers, and media outlets to engage in a healthy dialogue on the global nature and complexity inherent to agriculture.
It is a means of finding common ground among different groups of people despite disagreements, uniting global agriculture, and ending country-to-country comparisons and infighting so we can do more.