DSM


LAUNCHES


NEW STRATEGIC INITIATIVE: WE MAKE


IT POSSIBLE As the world’s population grows, demand for animal protein will continue to rise. Over time, this need for ever-increasing quantities of animal protein, which is already placing tremendous pressure on our planet’s finite natural resources, will lead to significant environmental strain, and take our food systems well beyond the planet’s boundaries. The need to provide enough animal


protein for a growing population, while reducing the environmental costs of farming will require smart science and innovative solutions. To address this challenge, DSM Animal Nutrition and Health has launched its cutting edge new strategic initiative: We Make it Possible. Its mission is to lead a robust and achievable transformation worldwide in sustainable animal protein production, and to accelerate solutions that will foster a brighter future. “DSM is purpose-led and performance


driven, and we know that the agriculture industry can transform itself from within,” said DSM’s Animal Nutrition and Health President Ivo Lansbergen. “For too long, sustainability has been someone else’s problem, a problem for tomorrow. But it is not an impossible challenge. We believe we can make animal farming sustainable. Our need is to be providing a decent living for farmers and affordable proteins to the world population, all while reducing the footprint of animal farming. We Make it Possible is a commitment to tangible and actionable solutions that cater to the customers we care most about: people and planet earth. Sustainability is in our DNA. We want


to demonstrate our new vision, both within DSM and beyond, how we see the future of the farming industry and the role we want to play. This strategic initiative reflects our commitment not only to be part of the value chain but to be a change agent, steering the global conversations, connecting the various stakeholders of the farming ecosystem, thinking ahead, generating ideas and new ways of working. If not now, when?” Aligned with the UN’s Sustainable


Development Goals 2, 3, 12, 13, and 14, the strategic initiative is driven by six sustainability platforms that will address the major challenges facing the animal farming industry. These are: Improving the lifetime performance


•


of farm animals • Improving the quality of food (i.e., meat, milk, fish, eggs), while


reducing food loss and waste • Reducing emissions from livestock • Making efficient use of natural resources • Reducing the reliance on marine resources • Helping tackle anti-microbial resistance


“DSM has a long and rich heritage


in the sustainability arena, and it is on that basis that we operate as a purpose- led company. Companies can no longer delay this aspect. They must step up and embrace sustainability in all aspects: it is vital to the success of business, just as it is vital to everything else,” said Christie Chavis, Vice President at DSM Animal Nutrition and Health. “We will create value across three dimensions simultaneously: People, Planet and Profit.” “By applying our science, innovation


and sustainability leadership behind these key areas, we believe we can make a substantial difference to the sustainability of the animal protein industry,” said David Nickell, VP of Sustainability & Business Solutions at DSM Animal Nutrition and Health. “At DSM, we are taking responsibility for our own role in protecting the planet, and have and continue to develop business solutions that enable the industry to make affordable and measurable improvements in the sustainability of animal protein, and we hope that many others will follow suit.” The We Make It Possible strategic


initiative comes after many years of investment and innovation in scientific solutions aimed at providing real answers to the challenges facing the agriculture industry, and marks not a new beginning, but a significant acceleration of the journey towards a more sustainable future.


LOCAL ALTERNATIVES TO SOYA AND PALM MEAL WILL HELP SAVE


RAINFORESTS UK livestock farmers could use more local alternatives to soya meal and palm kernel meal without reducing productivity. This is essential to reduce ever-increasing demand and associated destruction of rainforest in the Amazon and South-East Asia. But it is not just up to farmers. Vegans and others who buy milk substitutes made from soya for their latte and cappuccino, or breakfast cereal, are also harming the planet. They would do better to switch to milk from cows, and especially cows traditionally grazed on grass, if they want to help make a more sustainable planet. These are among the key findings of a new review of evidence, currently in press. Global production of soya bean and


palm oils has doubled over the last 20 years and consumption is still rising. Together, the two oils account for 90% of global vegetable oil production and are used in processed foods and non-food products (including paint, ink and cosmetics), both also produce


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by-product meals used as animal feeds. Demand is driven by human and animal consumption. Soya meal is also used in a wide range of foods and pet foods, but use of the meals in livestock feed plays a major role in making the cultivation of these crops profitable. International commodities trader, Cargill,


warned last year that it and other companies would not meet their 2014 commitment to eliminate deforestation from the production of agricultural products by 2020. At the same time the significant increase in the number of fires in the Amazon became international headlines, with concern raised about associated greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and soil degradation. Livestock feed manufacturers favour


the use of soya bean meal over other high- protein feeds, with over a million tonnes used in UK livestock feed annually. Widespread availability, high level and high quality of protein make soya bean meal attractive for use in pig, poultry and dairy cow rations. Palm kernel meal has more limited use, predominantly in dairy cow rations, especially as a supplement to grazed pastures. This practice should, however, be reconsidered. Grass has a relatively high protein content and adding palm kernel meal to the diet results in excessive nitrogen excretion and pollution of both air and water. The authors calculate that about 85


litres of milk is produced in the UK for every kilo of soya bean meal consumed by dairy cows. In contrast, no more than 7.5 litres of soya drink are produced from a kilo of whole soya beans. As a result, drinking milk from cows in the UK uses 11 times less soya than consuming drinks made directly from soya. Use of soya could be cut still further if farmers used more alternative sources of protein and consumers actively sought milk produced from cows that graze grass. In Europe as a whole, milk from cows is only 4 times more efficient than soya drinks in terms of soya use. The use of concentrates is higher because grass is a less productive crop in many countries than in the UK. A wide range of alternative protein


sources is available for use in livestock nutrition, including rapeseed meal, distillers’ grains and pulse grains, including beans and peas. Trials at the University of Nottingham have demonstrated that these alternatives can be used successfully and can even increase productivity in dairy cattle and pigs. Sustainable Food Trust chief executive,


Patrick Holden said, “This is an important study. It shows that livestock farmers could reduce their dependence on imported protein, which is produced at such a high environmental cost, and rely more on home produced feed. But it also shows that drinking cows’ milk uses far less soya than drinks made from soya, because most of the milk comes from grass. This highlights the importance of grass, a crop ideally suited to our climate and the grazing animals that turn


it into high quality foods we can eat”.


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