IFIF and FAO strengthen collaboration at annual meeting

November 25, 2024 - The International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) held their 23rd annual meeting, reaffirming their partnership on critical issues to advance safe, nutritious and sustainable feed and food production.

The meeting was officially opened by Mr Thanawat Tiensin, Assistant Director-General and Director of Animal Production and Health Division at FAO, alongside IFIF Chairman Mr Ruud Tijssens. Welcoming IFIF delegates representing over 80% of global compound feed production, they reiterated their commitment to tackling challenges in the feed and food chain through a strengthened collaboration.

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Mr Tiensin emphasised the "vital role of the feed and livestock sector in driving sustainable transformation," highlighting the importance of partnerships across public, producer, private and sectoral boundaries. He stated, "Livestock production is a cornerstone of agrifood systems, providing essential nutrition and economic opportunities worldwide." The meeting addressed FAO's vision for the sustainable transformation of the livestock sector, which includes reducing feed loss and waste, optimising feed conversion and enhancing nutrient use to reduce environmental impacts and antimicrobial resistance.

Key meeting highlights and initiatives discussed

Several key topics were discussed, underscoring IFIF and FAO's collaborative efforts for sustainable livestock sector transformation:

• The role of animal feed in sustainable livestock sector transformation: IFIF's 'Road to 2050' strategic process for stakeholder dialogue around the world to safeguard food security and offer feed as a recognised solution provider to global sustainable livestock.
• Codex alimentarius and feed safety standards: The meeting covered regulatory an scientific matters, including advancements in Codex Alimentarius work, particularly focusing on food safety foresight, emerging issues and international standards to ensure feed safety and quality.
• Reducing the use of antimicrobials and advancing animal health: FAO's Renofarm initiative, aimed at minimising antimicrobial needs on farms, and innovative feed practices to reduce antimicrobial use (AMU) were discussed, including IFIF's role in promoting responsible AMU through nutritional innovation.
• Global feed standards convergence: FAO and IFIF reviewed the International Cooperation for the Convergence of Technical Requirements for the Assessment of Feed Ingredients (ICCF) work plan, reflecting the growing global alignment on feed standards.
• Emerging food production technologies: Discussions on cell-based food and precision fermentation highlighted the future of sustainable food production, with a focus on safety standards and potential contributions to food security.
• Development of the feed sector in East Africa: Opportunities and challenges in East Africa's feed sector were explored, focusing on sustainable growth potential in emerging markets.
• Environmental sustainability initiatives: FAO and IFIF reviewed updates on the Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership Phase 5, The Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL) Work Plan and the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM), all supporting sustainable livestock practices.

Ongoing partnership and achievements

Mr Tijssens, IFIF Chairman, acknowledged FAO's achievements, including the important work on Sustainable Livestock Sector transformation. He emphasised the value of IFIF's continued support for key FAO initiatives, such as the LEAP Partnership, GASL and feed safety capacity-building projects. Mr Tijssens also highlighted the updated FAO-IFIF Manual on Good Practices for the Feed Sector, a milestone in capacity development for feed safety.

Reflecting on the FAO-IFIF partnership, Mr Tijssens added, "Together with the dedicated colleagues at FAO, we are building a science-based approach to support safe and sustainable animal nutrition that delivers affordable, high-quality food to a growing global population. By producing more with less, and better across diverse production systems, we are making strides toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." He concluded, "The strength and quality of our exchanges with FAO are crucial, and each year our collaboration deepens as we continue to build on the achievements."

Daniela Battaglia, Animal Production Officer at FAO, commended the FAO-IFIF collaboration, particularly in areas such as feed safety capacity development and the containment of antimicrobial resistance. She reiterated FAO's commitment to work with the private sector and the feed operators and believes that thy can valuably contribute to make the livestock and food sectors more responsible and sustainable and to achieve important goals such as public health, and animal health and welfare.

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