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August 16, 2020

Thinking tomorrow: Why we need sustainability more than ever and how we can create it

by Frederic Ferber and Dr Bernhard Eckel, Vice President, Dr Eckel Animal Nutrition GmbH & Co. KG, Germany

The world seems to have been turned upside down. Like a wave, the SARS-CoV 2 pandemic has been sweeping over the globe and affected farmers, feed and food producers practically everywhere. A lot has been talked, written and said about how to fortify businesses against the effects of the crisis. But what will really work out in the end once we can truly and universally say “it is over”? It is the solution that has been known and been right before, though not generally acknowledged yet, let alone accepted: sustainability.

All Member States of the United Nations (UN) adopted the Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) about four years ago: 17 goals were developed to transform the world into a better one by 2030. It’s a historic commitment to reducing poverty and hunger. Food and agriculture are key to achieving all the SDGs. Agriculture also plays a major role in combating climate change. And the SDGs are not only intended for developing countries.
 

Three goals are critical to our industry: Goal 2, Zero Hunger; Goal 3, Good Health and Well-Being; and Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production. We all agree with Goal 2: Zero Hunger. This is what we work towards in feed production every day. Goals 3 and 12 are really ambitious for all of us and need our full attention.

Goal 3: Good health and well-being
SDG 3 addresses both humans and animals. Therefore, it also includes animal health. Healthy animals are the foundation for healthy people. And healthy people are the basis for a stable and productive society, not only during or shortly after a pandemic like the one we have been witnessing. But how can feed additives contribute to this discussion? Last year in Asia, in what feels like a different time when travelling was not restricted, I came across an advertisement for detoxifying the (human) body that stated:

“By removing and eliminating toxin [sic], then feeding the body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and strengthen your ability to maintain optimal health.”

If we were to apply this to animal nutrition, we would amend it as follows: “By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding animals with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect them from disease and strengthen their ability to maintain optimal health, well-being and performance.”


Read more HERE.
 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.


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