The Alltech ONE World Tour (ONE), a series of international events bringing the ideas and inspiration of the annual Alltech ONE Conference to the world, resumed today in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. ONE Dubai welcomed international attendees to explore collaborative solutions to the greatest challenges facing the agri-food industry in the Middle East, Africa and beyond.

For the past 38 years, the Alltech ONE Conference has been held in Lexington, Kentucky, the home of Alltech’s global headquarters. In 2023, however, the company — a global leader in the field of agriculture — is bringing the conference to its partners, customers, suppliers and friends around the world, providing the opportunity for more people than ever to experience the power of ONE.

“As our customers and partners continue to face many challenges and uncertainties, we determined that 2023 would be dedicated to meeting them in their markets,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “This special edition of the ONE endeavors to deliver global expertise to locally relevant issues. In the midst of economic and political uncertainties that fuel regionalization, this ONE reflects the responsibility we have as a global company to be a connector of people and ideas, ever advancing our purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™.”

Alltech ONE Dubai features discussions led by local and international experts about the latest trends in sustainable agricultural, animal nutrition and business, including presentations from Dr. Lyons; Tara McCarthy, global vice president of ESG at Alltech; Sheikh Dr. Majid Al Qassimi, founding partner at Soma Mater; and Gerald Kiernan, general manager of dairy farms, Emirates Food Industries (EFI).

In his opening remarks, Dr. Lyons welcomed delegates to Dubai to discuss agriculture’s role in saving the planet.

“Agriculture can transform things in ways that other industries cannot and we are at the interface of nourishing the present and preserving the future,” he said. “Our belief is that agriculture has the greatest potential to positively influence the future of our planet, provide nutrition for all, help rural communities thrive and replenish our planet’s resources.”

Alltech recently released the results of the Alltech Sustainability Insights report, and McCarthy discussed those findings in further detail during her presentation.

“Our industry is navigating unprecedented disruption yet remains confident and committed to evolving toward a more sustainable food system,” she said. “The key to success will be the development of innovative solutions, but even more critical is the capacity of the industry to work together across the value chain.”

Sheikh Dr. Majid Al Qassimi focused on how the UAE is making food and agriculture systems more equitable, accessible and sustainable.

"For the National Farms Sustainability Initiative, it wasn’t enough to have our own farms start, but to ensure that we start with sustainability in mind,” he said. “Today, more than ever, consumers want to see sustainability in all their products, including their food.”

Kiernan spoke about Alltech’s and EFI’s recent Planet of Plenty™ partnership with National Dairy Farms and Masakin Dairy Farms, two prominent companies owned by EFI, to bring leading-edge carbon footprint benchmarking and methane-reducing technologies to the Middle East.

“With growing concerns about climate change, companies worldwide are under increasing pressure to adopt eco-conscious practices,” said Kiernan. “As industry leaders, National and Masakin recognize the importance of curbing greenhouse gas emissions and setting new sustainability benchmarks.”

Kiernan’s comments were echoed by Paul McVeigh, regional manager for Alltech in the Middle East.

“The solidification of many years of collaboration with EFI in a Planet of Plenty Partnership represents the goals of the wider global Alltech family,” said McVeigh. “This partnership illustrates what is possible in the Middle East region when companies join forces toward a single goal, and we are dedicated to supporting them with the best available nutritional technologies to achieve more milk while reducing their environmental footprint.”

As ONE Dubai continues, delegates will hear from industry experts on various topics, including ruminant and poultry sessions focused on mycotoxin management, calf nutrition, dairy farming waste management, egg quality and mineral management, as well as carbon policies.

The Alltech ONE World Tour will continue with international stops in 2024, uniting changemakers and thought leaders throughout the global ag value chain to explore opportunities for agriculture. For more information and to register for an Alltech ONE World Tour stop, visit one.alltech.com.

World’s leaders to focus on food systems and agriculture at upcoming COP28 in Dubai

The role of food systems and agriculture in climate action is taking center stage at this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP28, which kicks off Nov. 30 in Dubai.

COP convenes country leaders each year to discuss and coordinate global efforts to address climate change. Since COP21 in 2015, the conference has focused heavily on how to implement the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the rise in the Earth’s temperature and prevent the potentially disastrous effects of global warming.

This year, the organizers of COP28 have added a food-systems focus to the agenda, urging global governments to sign a declaration of intent to integrate food systems and agriculture into their national climate agendas. An initiative encouraging the widespread adoption of regenerative agriculture has also been launched.

Farmers, ranchers and producers have been focused for many years on agriculture’s role in feeding the world and meeting its climate change goals. They recognize the vital importance of creating healthy, sustainable food systems, a goal that is disrupted by the climate crisis.

Indeed, agriculture stands at the forefront of solutions to nourish the world and nurture the planet.

Three things to know

• COP28, set for Nov. 30–Dec. 12 in Dubai, will explore a Food Systems and Agriculture agenda.

• It will call on global leaders to sign a declaration that aligns national food systems and agriculture strategies with climate efforts.

• Agriculture is vital to feeding the world and meeting its climate change goals. It has the capability to reduce its own emissions and capture and sequester emissions released by other industries

“There is no other industry that plays such a fundamental role in terms of not only producing food, but also preserving our planet,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “If we produce our food in the right way, we can deliver on some of those big objectives of having the right nutrition, of creating new economic opportunities, and protecting and renewing our natural resources.”

Climate change cannot be solved without agriculture, and agriculture cannot thrive without tackling climate change. We must meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future.

The world needs the nourishment of protein-rich meat, milk, eggs and seafood and crops that are grown in healthy soil. At the same time, we must work to minimize any harmful effects of agricultural practices on the environment. This can be accomplished by improving the health of animals and the soil, maximizing the quality of animal feed, increasing the efficiency of the farm and reinvesting in innovation.

The power of carbon sequestration

While agriculture currently contributes about a quarter of global GHG emissions, it possesses the unique capability to reduce its own emissions and capture and sequester emissions released by other industries. This makes agriculture a powerful tool in the fight against climate change.

A study published in PLOS Climate earlier this year suggested that agriculture could be carbon-negative by 2050. Advancements in agricultural technology and management have the potential to not only slow down the growth of greenhouse gas emissions from the global food system but actually achieve net negative emissions, the study’s authors said.

“Our study recognizes the food system as one of the most powerful weapons in the battle against global climate change,” said co-lead author Professor Benjamin Houlton, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. “We need to move beyond silver-bullet thinking and rapidly test, verify and scale local solutions by leveraging market-based incentives.”

Focusing on soil health, leading-edge nutrition and pasture management practices, and the use of climate-smart technologies will allow the agriculture industry to capture more carbon each year.

Alltech has been studying the agriculture industry’s ability to sequester carbon through a research alliance based at the 10,000-acre Buck Island Ranch in Lake Placid, Florida. The alliance brings together Alltech’s scientists with ecologists and agriculture experts to understand the impact cattle production has on an ecosystem.

Researchers at Buck Island have learned that grazing ruminant animals on land actually benefits the environment and improves carbon cycling, which refers to the movement of carbon through various reservoirs on Earth — the atmosphere, soil and water, for example. The team is measuring the carbon emissions of beef production and evaluating the effects of pasture management, grazing strategies, mineral supplementation and other nutritional strategies.

The results have confirmed that carbon-neutral — and even net-positive — beef production is possible at Buck Island, and that same potential likely extends to other environments around the world.

“What Buck Island shows us is that with animals on the land, we capture more carbon than without them,” said Dr. Lyons. “That is profoundly powerful.”

Agricultural technologies and practices required to increase carbon capture could be “regionally down-scaled according to local culture, economics, technology readiness and agricultural management capacities,” the PLOS Climate study concluded. “This makes agriculture a unique economic sector and reiterates that it should be a key focus when discussing climate targets.”

The potential to capture carbon in the soil presents a significant opportunity for the agri-food community to embrace our critical role in combatting climate change while simultaneously improving soil health, boosting crop yields and promoting biodiversity.

“The biggest carbon sink that we can have is our land,” Dr. Lyons said. “Agriculture is the answer.”

Agri-food leaders around the world believe the industry can work together to create a better, more sustainable food system, according to the Alltech Sustainability Insights report, released today.

Alltech conducted a global, industry-wide survey to gather insights on the issues that matter most to the agri-food value chain and its stakeholders. In collaboration with Opinions, an independent research agency based in Ireland, Alltech collected insights through 26 interviews with industry leaders and via a comprehensive survey completed by more than 2,500 members of the agri-food industry. This effort presented an exciting opportunity to quantify attitudes and perceptions about sustainability from stakeholders across the agri-food value chain and identify tangible actions to build a more sustainable future.

“Our goal was to listen to the voices of our industry and its stakeholders and develop a robust, future-facing program of insights that are relevant, ambitious and genuinely impactful,” said Tara McCarthy, global vice president of ESG at Alltech. “Our industry is navigating unprecedented disruption, yet it remains confident and committed to evolving toward a more sustainable food system. The key to success will be the development of innovative solutions, but even more critical is the capacity of the industry to work together across the value chain.”

The survey questions were focused on five areas: challenges and opportunities; drivers and priorities; attitudes toward change; support and guidance; and who they believe is going to pay for sustainability. The key findings of the survey include:

• While four out of five respondents agree that “climate change will make food production much more difficult in the future,” perspectives differ across the regions. A very real series of crises faces the agri-food industry and, for the most part, survey respondents acknowledged the gravity of those challenges and the fragility of our food system. There is a strong level of optimism and positivity however, with 85% of respondents agreeing that the food system can rise to the challenge.
   
• Almost three in four respondents reported feeling that a lot more guidance is needed to support their improvements in environmental sustainability. The need for guidance is expressed most strongly at the latter end of the value chain (e.g., retailers, food-service operators and manufacturers).
   
• Most respondents agree that regulation is putting pressure on all areas of the supply chain. Respondents were similarly realistic about the need for support for the primary producers of the food that the 8 billion people on this planet eat: 66% agree that until the farmer is incentivized financially, things will never change.
   
• Many recognize that we will not be able to resolve the challenges ahead without a huge degree of innovation and harnessing technology to enable us to feed ourselves sustainably, with 92% of respondents believing that technology and innovation are key to more sustainable food systems.
   
• There is a near-universal recognition that we need a collaborative conversation and effort across the value chain, with 93% of respondents agreeing that we all must work together to create a better food system for the future.

“Our industry is navigating extraordinary times, but the opportunities for positive impact are even more unprecedented,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Imagine what is possible when we all work toward the shared goals of providing nutrition for all, revitalizing local economies and replenishing the planet’s natural resources.”

For more information and survey results, visit alltech.com/sustainability-insights.

A groundbreaking new study suggests that agriculture could be carbon-negative by 2050, reinforcing Alltech’s long-held belief that agriculture has the greatest potential to shape the future of our planet.

Changes to agricultural technology and management have the potential to not only slow down the growth of greenhouse gas emissions from the global food system but actually achieve net negative emissions, according to the study, published earlier this month in PLOS Climate. These changes could result in an annual removal of 13 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) by 2050. To put this into context, the world currently emits about 50 billion tons of CO₂ equivalent each year.

“Our study recognizes the food system as one of the most powerful weapons in the battle against global climate change,” said co-lead author Professor Benjamin Houlton, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. “We need to move beyond silver-bullet thinking and rapidly test, verify and scale local solutions by leveraging market-based incentives.”

The study, led by Houlton and Maya Almaraz of Princeton University, was organized by the World Wildlife Fund in collaboration with the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis and funded by The Rockefeller Foundation.

Using a global food system model, the researchers explored the influence of consumer choice, climate-smart agro-industrial technologies, and reductions in food waste as means to achieve net negative emissions by 2050. They also examined various scenarios under the conditions of full yield gap closures and caloric demands in a world projected to have a population of 10 billion.

Dietary changes and agricultural technologies were examined as options for reducing GHG emissions, including an analysis of carbon sequestration — the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. While state-of-the-art agricultural technologies have the potential for substantial sector-wide negative emissions, the research team found that dietary changes had little effect on carbon sequestration.

The study identified several promising technologies for achieving net negative emissions, such as hydrogen-powered fertilizer production, innovative livestock feeds, organic and inorganic soil modifications, agroforestry and sustainable seafood harvesting practices.

A research alliance between Alltech and Archbold Expeditions is measuring the carbon emissions of beef production and carbon sequestration potential at Buck Island Ranch in Florida. 

Scaling solutions to capitalize on carbon sequestration potential

Focusing on soil health, leading-edge nutrition and pasture management practices, and use of and climate-smart technologies will allow the agriculture industry to capture more carbon each year, according to Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech.

“The biggest carbon sink that we can have is our land,” he said. “Agriculture is the answer.”

While agriculture currently contributes about a quarter of global GHG emissions, it possesses a unique capability to reduce its own emissions and capture and sequester emissions released by other industries. This makes agriculture a powerful tool in the fight against climate change.

“We are the only industry that captures carbon for a living,” said Dr. Vaughn Holder, Alltech’s director of ruminant research. “We’re the only industry that exists at the scale that is required to pull gigatons of carbon out of the environment and put it back into the soil. That’s our moral responsibility.”

Reducing emissions is important, but it won’t solve climate change, he said. Carbon sequestration is the ultimate solution. The challenge ahead lies in confirming and scaling technologies that enhance sequestration.

Agricultural technologies and practices required to increase carbon capture could be “regionally down-scaled according to local culture, economics, technology readiness and agricultural management capacities,” the PLOS Climate study concluded. “This makes agriculture a unique economic sector and reiterates that it should be a key focus when discussing climate targets.”

Alltech has been studying the agriculture industry’s ability to sequester carbon through a research alliance based at the 10,000-acre Buck Island Ranch in Lake Placid, Florida. The researchers have learned that grazing ruminant animals on land actually benefits the environment and improves carbon cycling. The team is measuring the carbon emissions of beef production and evaluating the effects of pasture management, grazing strategies, mineral supplementation and other nutritional strategies.

The results have confirmed that carbon-neutral – and even net-positive – beef production is possible at Buck Island, and that same potential likely extends to environments around the world.

“What Buck Island shows us is that with animals on the land, we capture more carbon than without them,” said Dr. Lyons.

Scientists at Buck Island are also working with Alltech E-CO₂ and various partners to create precision tools designed to measure methane yields and intensity. The next step is the inclusion of advanced sequestering measurements that will evaluate how grazing practices, pasture management, nutritional strategies and other techniques affect the carbon cycle and make it possible for beef operations to sequester carbon.

The soil’s ability to sequester carbon is a critical part of the story. Alltech Crop Science and Ideagro, a recent addition to Alltech’s family of companies, are studying how microbial populations can enrich soil chemistry and nutrient density, leading to increased carbon sequestration in the soil.

The potential to capture carbon in the soil presents a significant opportunity for the agri-food community to embrace our critical role in combatting climate change while simultaneously improving soil health, boosting crop yields and promoting biodiversity.

“One of the most powerful weapons against global climate change is our food system,” said Dr. Lyons. “If we produce our food in the right way, we can deliver on some of those big objectives of having the right nutrition, of creating new economic opportunities, and protecting and renewing our natural resources. It's very exciting.”

RELATED: Blog/podcast with Dr. Vaughn Holder — Beef’s contribution to global food security

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Alltech’s smarter, more sustainable solutions for agriculture are built on a strong foundation of science that began when founder Dr. Pearse Lyons first harnessed his expertise in yeast fermentation. Today, the company’s unparalleled global presence and research foundation have powered the creation of many technologies that enhance animal health and productivity, strengthen the safety of the entire food chain and support sustainable agri-food.

From optimizing animal health to safeguarding our natural resources, the agri-food industry faces many obstacles today, particularly as it works to nourish a burgeoning world population.

“Agricultural science must rise to the challenges now, which is why we fervently believe in the synergistic power of research partnerships,” said Janna Norton, who oversees university relations and education outreach for Alltech as the company’s research business manager.

More than 100 scientists conduct research activities across five Alltech bioscience centers and five divisions: ruminant, monogastric, chemistry and toxicology, biological sciences and life sciences. Alltech has pioneered scientific breakthroughs regarding the application of yeast and yeast-derived products, organic trace mineral nutrition, selenium’s role in animal and human health, the function of digestive enzymes in maximizing feed efficiency, nutritional strategies for performance and well-being, and more.

Alltech has also established research alliances with leading universities and institutions around the world that bring together leading experts in their respective fields and provide the necessary resources to drive industry transformation.

Alltech researchers are creating leading-edge solutions that harness the power of science to nourish people and the planet, illustrating Alltech’s commitment to Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™. From reducing antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance to lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving soil health and more, Alltech’s teams are seeking answers to some of the biggest questions facing the agriculture industry and the world.

Alltech’s role in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

Alltech researchers are making advancements in pathogen control and the global fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the largest and most urgent threats to global health, food security and socioeconomic development today. In 2019, nearly 5 million human deaths worldwide were associated with bacterial AMR according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 2050, that number could be as high as 10 million deaths per year.

Antibiotic resistance can develop in bacteria naturally, but the use and misuse of antimicrobials in disease prevention and treatment in humans and in animals — and their use for improving growth rates in food-producing animals — have contributed to an accelerated development of AMR, explained Dr. Richard Murphy, research director of the Alltech European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, Ireland.

There is a global movement to reduce antimicrobial use in livestock production, especially as a growth promoter. Restricting or banning the use of antibiotics, however, does not eliminate or significantly decrease AMR, Dr. Murphy said. Despite increasing levels of control and restrictions on antibiotic use, resistance remains high. The answer lies in finding strategies to reduce the prevalence of resistant organisms in our production systems and in our environment, creating ways to control multiple types of resistance without compromising food safety and increasing the susceptibility of resistant microbes to antimicrobials.

We need to think beyond antibiotic-free.

“Rather than focusing solely on antimicrobial resistance, we also need to focus on the pathogens, because of the high-level prevalence of antimicrobial resistance that’s present in those pathogens,” he said.

As part of ongoing efforts to support restrictions on the non-therapeutic use of antimicrobials in the poultry and pig industries, recent research at Alltech has focused on the mechanisms surrounding antimicrobial resistance and its impacts on antimicrobial efficacy toward common foodborne pathogens, such as resistant E. coli.

The research has shown that mannan-rich fraction (MRF) can enhance the sensitivity of bacteria to the effects of antibiotics.

By enhancing overall microbial diversity and balance within the gut, we can enhance the gut’s resistance to pathogen colonization.

“If you can expand the richness and the diversity of the gut microflora, that enables the GI tract to self-police. You get greater resistance to pathogen colonization of the GI tract,” Dr. Murphy said.

Actigen^® is a key technology in this space, as it participates in normalizing gut microflora and promoting microbiome diversity.

“Actigen can improve the integrity of tight junctions in the gut, which give us better intestinal barrier function,” said Dr. Jules Taylor-Pickard, director of the Alltech Gut Health Management platform. “So, if we have better intestinal barrier function, we can help to prevent pathogenic bacteria from actually entering the animal’s system and also making them sick.”

“And we also know that the main multiplication of resistant bacteria are in the gut, which acts as a reservoir for these resistant bacteria and resistant genes,” she added. “Again, this highlights the importance of good gut health.”

The use of alternative products designed to regulate and support the gut environment and its microflora will assist in the move to antibiotic-free production, Dr. Taylor-Pickard said.

Among these products are several nutritional solutions Alltech has pioneered: feed enzymes, organic minerals, yeast cell wall derivatives, such as mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) and mannose-rich fraction, and functional nutrients and probiotics.

The Alltech Gut Health Management platform helps producers strengthen gut microflora to enable the GI tract to offer greater pathogen resistance. It offers a path to antibiotic-free production that begins with the Seed, Feed, Weed program, which ‘seeds’ the gut with favorable organisms, ‘feeds’ a favorable environment to provide a competitive advantage to favorable bacteria, and ‘weeds’ out unfavorable bacteria.

There is no “silver bullet” for reducing AMR, Dr. Murphy said. It is difficult to replace antibiotics with a single compound or nutritional additive.

However, through a combination of strategies, producers can rehabilitate and accelerate the evolution of intestinal microbiota.

Buck Island collaboration shows potential of carbon-negative beef production

Is carbon-negative beef production possible?

Yes! Alltech researchers have observed it at Buck Island Ranch in Lake Placid, Florida, and the potential likely extends to environments around the world.

Through a strategic research alliance with Archbold Expeditions at Buck Island, Alltech has had the unique opportunity over the past three years to measure the carbon emissions of beef production and evaluate the effects of pasture management, grazing strategies, mineral supplementation and other nutritional strategies. What the researchers have learned is astounding: These measures have allowed Buck Island’s beef ranch to become carbon neutral.

By comparing Alltech’s data to Archbold’s historical records, the researchers have demonstrated a direct connection between sustainability and improved cow efficiency. The project has also provided a new understanding of the full carbon cycle on a beef ranch, one that is not solely focused on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the animal but also on natural GHG emissions from the land, the photosynthesis of GHGs, and the sequestration of carbon in the soil.

Animal emissions are not the full story!

Buck Island is a 10,000-acre ranch with about 3,000 cows, and it produces 2,300 calves annually. For many years, Archbold has been monitoring GHG emissions there by using eddy flux towers, collecting soil samples and keeping an annual soil sample database, and using GPS to monitor grazing.

The alliance has partnered Archbold’s ecologists with Alltech’s animal scientists, creating a well-rounded team that is unlocking new knowledge of the soil microbiome and carbon sequestration, optimizing nutrition and improving production.

Because of a lack of practical tools to measure carbon flux on farms, most carbon emission models use a book value to determine the carbon footprint instead of taking measurements directly. That is not the case at Buck Island. The Buck Island research team uses eddy flux towers to take actual measurements of GHGs in the atmosphere and evaluate carbon capture by the soil.

The team can compare the historical records of cattle management and performance, pasture management, plant growth and soil biodiversity with current measurements to determine the effects of changes in nutritional and management strategies on the ecosystem of Buck Island.

Only focusing on the animal misses the bigger picture. Alltech Crop Science and Ideagro have a wealth of information and technologies for nourishing the soil through its microbial population. The teams will continue to investigate how these microbes boost soil chemistry and nutrient density, helping to sequester more carbon in the soil. By including soil in the equation, we bring the carbon sequestration cycle full-circle.

The work at Buck Island continues as researchers collaborate with Alltech E-CO₂ and others to develop precision tools to measure methane yields and intensity. The next step is the inclusion of advanced sequestering measurements that will evaluate how management and nutrition affect the carbon cycle and make it possible for beef operations to sequester carbon. A life-cycle analysis is also being conducted.

Thanks to the Buck Island project, Alltech is defining climate-smart management practices for reducing GHG emissions and promoting carbon sequestration in cattle production systems.

Carlson Farm project: Understanding the soil microbiome

To better understand microbial populations, Alltech researchers carried out a pilot study of pasture lands at Carlson Farm in Missouri. The study compared three pasture management strategies: ungrazed, lightly grazed and heavily grazed.

The team used a genomic approach to assess the microbial population. This provides information on the composition of the microbiome and the relative abundance of organisms in the soil. On average, the ungrazed pasture samples had a lower carbon index (i.e., less sequestration) and greater activities in pathways associated with carbon loss (e.g., methanogenesis, respiration and fermentation).

Other microbial and functional differences predicted from the evaluation of pasture management practices included:

• Increased biodiversity in grazed pastures
• Improved soil quality in grazed pastures
• Decreased methanogenesis in grazed pastures
• Decreased aerobic respiration in grazed pastures
• System changes for plant nutrition
• Mineral uptake and transport
• Changes in plant hormones and stimulants

The analysis provides promising tools for measuring the potential for carbon sequestration in pasture soils. It will be used in more extensive validation studies at Buck Island to evaluate sequestration potential and climate-safe practices.

 Demonstrating our sustainability commitments

The 2022 Alltech Sustainability Report shares our sustainability journey through the lens of the three main objectives of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™:

• Replenishing the planet’s natural resources
• Providing nutrition for all
• Revitalizing local economies

Download and read the report at alltech.com/sustainability.

[DUBLIN, Ireland] – In recognition of their commitment to excellence in whiskey production and sustainability efforts alike, Pearse Lyons Distillery has retained Origin Green Gold Membership status for the second consecutive year. Gold Membership is the highest and most prestigious standard in the Bord Bia Origin Green programme. Pearse Lyons Distillery’s consistent improvement in the use of recycled and recyclable materials in product packaging, increased efficiencies in how raw materials are utilized, sustained waste reduction and community engagement were the basis for achieving this highly coveted status.

“It is an honour for us to have retained our prestigious Origin Green Gold Membership status for the second consecutive year,” said Conor Ryan, head of production operations at Pearse Lyons Distillery. “Our involvement in this very important national programme at such a high level shows our core commitment to sustainability and the well-being of our planet. The team at Pearse Lyons Distillery has worked diligently to maintain exemplary standards across our process efficiencies in order to meet and exceed our Origin Green sustainability charter targets.”

Origin Green is Ireland’s pioneering food and drink sustainability programme, uniting the government, private sector and complete supply chain, from farmers to food producers, foodservice and retail. As the world’s only national food and drink sustainability programme, Origin Green enables the industry to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets that respect the environment and serve local communities more effectively.

“We are delighted to recognise Pearse Lyons Distillery with the Bord Bia Origin Green Gold Membership status again this year for their continued exemplary sustainability performance,” said Deirdre Ryan, director of sustainability and quality assurance at Bord Bia. “They have employed excellent sustainability practices, such as yearly increased use of recycled and recyclable materials in their bottles and packaging, increased return from the grain used for distilling, annual reductions in waste produced and increasing engagement with the communities around the distillery.”

“I am honored to carry forward not only the legacy of my father Pearse but generations of my family who dedicated their lives to this craft,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “It’s an extraordinary privilege to be part of Ireland’s brewing and distilling heritage, and we recognize that opportunity carries great responsibility. Our team at Pearse Lyons Distillery is united by a passion for positive impact that extends from excellence in our beverage offerings to sustainability-focused innovation in our ingredient sourcing, distilling processes, bottling and waste reduction. We are honored to have a home in one of Dublin’s most historic districts and are committed to contributing to our community.”

For more information, visit www.pearselyonsdistillery.com.

Alltech has committed to completing life cycle analyses (LCAs) of our core nutritional technologies across all its manufacturing sites globally.

Alltech has completed seven product LCAs and plans to complete 40 assessments by the end of 2023.

LCAs quantify the environmental impacts associated with a product. The assessments consider all inputs including ingredients, energy, transport, packaging and all pollutants generated in the production of a product, from cradle to factory gate.

Alltech follows the LCA framework standard ISO 14067 in addition to guidance documents from the Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP). We also work with the Carbon Trust to ensure services provided through Alltech E-CO₂ are independently verified to be in line with the product carbon footprint standards PAS:2050 and ISO 140067.

“Completing such assessments allows us to generate more accurate metrics on the environmental impact of our business activities,” said Dr. Stephen Ross, senior sustainability specialist, Alltech E-CO₂. “Life cycle analysis requires us to look at energy consumption at the production level, revealing opportunities for process efficiency improvements, which will reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.”

Rather than utilize an assumed value for cradle-to-grave analysis of products, Alltech utilizes cradle-to-factory-gate analysis, as through Alltech E-CO₂, to conduct on-farm livestock carbon footprints that take into account the use phase of Alltech technologies.

In addition to product LCAs, Alltech has completed carbon footprint assessments for each of our production plants. We will update these carbon footprint scores annually. Alltech also has begun installing monitoring equipment to capture energy consumption data on individual product lines.

Alltech E-CO₂ measures and helps reduce agriculture’s environmental impact

The E-CO₂ Project was established in 2009 to provide the agriculture industry with a tool to measure and manage environmental impact at the farm level. In the first few years of business, it pioneered the use of environmental tools and assessments to provide opportunities to benchmark and improve on-farm efficiency, thereby leading to increased profitability and sustainability.

The E-CO₂ Project joined the Alltech family of companies in February 2015 and became Alltech E-CO₂, with a goal of expanding to more locations and offering additional services. Today, Alltech E-CO₂ serves a wide range of customers, from individual farms to multinational organizations in multiple countries.

Alltech E-CO₂ has conducted more than 20,000 on-farm and remote assessments globally and has developed assessment models for crops and all major livestock species.

Certified environmental assessments provide a wealth of in-depth data on animal production, health, feed, fertilizer, nitrogen balance, water, energy and resource use. The data collected is used to deliver practical on-farm and online programs, as well as benchmark reporting, with clear and concise consultancy advice to lower the producer’s carbon emissions.

Helping feed manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint

Alltech E-CO₂ launched the Feeds EA™ (environmental assessment) model to help feed manufacturers and producers globally measure and lower the carbon footprint of their feed. Feeds EA measures the environmental impact of feed production at the feed mill level by assessing the impact of existing compounds or blends. This is determined by calculating greenhouse gas emissions from production, cultivation, processing, energy utilization and transportation in the manufacturing of the feed. Feeds EA can calculate emissions from a database of more than 300 ingredients, including raw materials, soya products, byproducts and additives.

“Optimizing the sustainability of feed production provides a huge opportunity for the whole supply chain,” said Ben Braou, business general manager for Alltech E-CO₂. “By utilizing Feeds EA, feed manufacturers are provided with the means to further enhance their product range and sustainability credentials through supplying feed with a lower environmental impact.”

Demonstrating our sustainability commitments

The 2022 Alltech Sustainability Report shares our sustainability journey through the lens of the three main objectives of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™:

• Replenishing the planet’s natural resources
• Providing nutrition for all
• Revitalizing local economies

Download and read the report at alltech.com/sustainability.

The following blog is a summary of an Ag Future podcast episode with Dr. Vaughn Holder, hosted by Tom Martin. Click below to hear the full audio, or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

The research behind food security suggests that only a handful of nations are protein-insecure. But is the data overlooking the importance of protein quality? Dr. Vaughn Holder, ruminant research director at Alltech, joined the Ag Future podcast in 2022 to discuss the role digestibility plays in getting an accurate gauge of global protein security and the positive impact that cattle have on the health of people and the planet.

Rethinking protein security: a paradigm shift

Dr. Holder kicked off the conversation by challenging the conventional approach to evaluating food security. The existing framework primarily focuses on the quantity of protein consumption in different nations, overlooking the crucial factor of protein digestibility.

Not all proteins are created equal. Animal-derived proteins tend to be complete proteins with high digestibility, closely aligned with the human body’s needs. In contrast, plant proteins often have lower digestibility, making them less efficient sources of nutrition.

Dr. Holder referenced the groundbreaking work of Paul Moughan, a researcher from a university in New Zealand, who highlighted the necessity of adjusting protein intake based on the body’s ability to absorb and utilize it effectively. By factoring in protein quality and digestibility, the scope of protein insecurity expands significantly, potentially affecting a much larger portion of the global population.

Impacts on human health and development

Protein malnutrition has far-reaching implications for human health, particularly in terms of its effects on brain development in infants and on overall physical development. Dr. Holder cited research suggesting that addressing protein insufficiency could potentially elevate the global population’s average IQ by ten points. This underscores the profound impact of protein quality on societal progress and well-being.

Plant-based alternatives and food production

In discussing the rise of plant-based meats and milks as alternatives to conventional animal products, Dr. Holder acknowledged the value of these products in terms of taste and consumer preferences. However, he raises a critical point: While plant-based options can be part of a nutritious diet, they should not replace actual protein production. The distinction lies in the fact that plant-based alternatives are essentially processed foods.

Ruminants as nature’s recyclers

Annually, about 40 metric tons of byproducts are being fed into the dairy industry. Dr. Holder described ruminants as natural recycling centers, converting both food waste and nutrient-rich plant byproducts that humans can’t use into valuable protein sources.

What’s more, cattle are reducing the greenhouse-gas footprint of those byproducts.

“If there aren’t cattle utilizing those byproducts, those byproducts end up in compost heaps or landfills,” Dr. Holder explained. “As byproducts entering compost heaps, they will end up generating five times the amount of greenhouse gases that they would if they went through a cow, and they’d generate 49 times as many greenhouse gases if they went into a landfill than if they went into a cow.”

The path forward: an ecosystem-centric approach

Dr. Holder concluded with an exciting glimpse into the future of ruminant research. He introduces a paradigm shift in viewing protein production, emphasizing the importance of ecosystems as units of production. This holistic approach considers not only the role of cattle in protein production but also the broader impact on carbon capture and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.

World hunger is on the rise, and many places in our world face deepening food crises. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we place nutritional quality at the heart of agriculture practices so we can provide nutrition, not just food, for all.

About 735 million people are currently facing hunger, an increase of 122 million people since 2019, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published by five United Nations specialized agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Food and nutrition security looked grim in 2022:

• About 2.4 billion people did not have access to constant food (nearly 30% of the global population), and around 900 million of these individuals faced severe food insecurity.
• More than 3.1 billion people, 42% of the global population, were unable to afford a healthy diet. That’s an overall increase of 134 million people compared to 2019.
• Millions of children under age 5 continue to suffer from malnutrition. In 2022, 148 million children under age 5 (22.2%) were stunted, 45 million (6.8%) were wasted, and 37 million (5.6%) were overweight.

Progress in hunger reduction was observed in Asia and Latin America, but hunger was still on the rise in Western Asia, in the Caribbean, and throughout all subregions of Africa. One in five people in Africa are facing hunger, more than twice the global average.

The report attributed the rise in hunger to the COVID-19 pandemic, repeated severe weather events, and geopolitical conflicts, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Difficulties will persist as we battle climate change and the extreme weather events it causes.

With the current level of hunger, achieving the 2030 nutrition targets outlined in the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals will be a daunting challenge, the report said. By 2030, it is projected that almost 600 million people will still be facing hunger.

“The major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition are our ‘new normal,’ and we have no option but to redouble our efforts to transform agri-food systems and leverage them towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goal 2 targets,” said the heads of the five U.N. agencies in the report's foreword.

Nourishing the World

To feed the world’s population, 70% more food will be required by the year 2060. But just feeding the world is not enough. We must provide nutrients.

Poor nutrition is the single greatest threat to the world’s health, according to the World Health Organization. Currently, one in four people on our planet is malnourished — over 2 billion people worldwide — and one in 10 people is undernourished.

The health consequences of poor nutrition are numerous and severe. In addition to reduced life expectancy, poor nutrition can cause complications in pregnancy and childbirth, higher risks of infectious diseases, reduced cognitive function, poor mental health, and more.

“To truly achieve nutrition for all, we will rely on both plants and animals,” said Nikki Putnam Badding, director of human nutrition initiatives at Alltech and managing director of Acutia, during her keynote address at Alltech ONE Dublin. “Animals provide us with essential nutrients that plants do not and vice versa. Nutrition security requires all food sources.”

A sustainable diet provides sufficient energy and essential nutrients to maintain the good health of the population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their nutritional needs.

To deliver nutrition for all, we need more nutrient-dense food — quality meat, milk, eggs and seafood that are high in protein and crops that are grown in healthy soil. We must focus on essential nutrition, and we must deliver both quantity and quality. This can be accomplished by improving the health of animals and the soil, maximizing the value of feedstuffs, increasing the efficiency of the farm, and reinvesting in innovation.

Alltech has been helping producers meet these goals for more than 40 years. Our technologies help animals optimize the nutrients in their feed, thereby supporting the health and performance of livestock while also reducing their environmental impact.

Through collaboration and innovation, the agri-food community can create a world where science-based solutions help ensure sustainable food production for the global population.

“Agriculture has the greatest potential to be the world’s hero,” said Putnam Badding.

Alltech believes agriculture has the greatest potential to positively shape the future of our planet.

That's why we're uniting the agri-food community in Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™. A planet where science-based solutions help ensure sustainable food production for the global population. A planet where agriculture’s story is central to the development of thriving communities and ecosystems. A planet where, through collaboration and innovation, we can create a world of abundance for future generations. 

Together, we can provide nutrition for all, revitalize local economies and replenish the planet’s natural resources.

A Planet of Plenty™ transcends environmental sustainability. It is a vision of a more positive future, full of promise and possibility. Join us in creating a future of sustainable nutrition and farming. Learn more at alltech.com/planet-of-plenty.

Alltech is inspired by the immense challenge the world has presented us: to produce enough nutritious food for all people while also caring for our animals and sustaining our land, air and water for future generations.

The agri-food community is uniquely prepared to shoulder this responsibility. Amid the challenges of today’s world, agriculture has the greatest potential to positively shape the future of our planet.

With the advent of new agricultural technologies, the adoption of improved sustainable farming practices and, above all, the ingenuity inherent in the human spirit, a world of abundance can be ours. But it cannot be achieved alone.

That’s why Alltech is uniting the agri-food community in Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™. A planet where science-based solutions help ensure sustainable food production for the global population. A planet where agriculture’s story is central to the development of thriving communities and ecosystems. A planet where, through collaboration and innovation, we can create a world of abundance for future generations.

Together, we can provide nutrition for all, revitalize local economies and replenish the planet’s natural resources.

Creating a future of sustainable nutrition and farming will require us to maintain a sharp focus on the three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental and social. As ambassadors of our Planet of Plenty™ message, we want to be transparent about our sustainability goals and the progress we are making on our journey. By striving to improve the health of animals, plants and soil, maximize the value of feedstuffs, increase the efficiency of the farm and reinvest in innovation, we are sharing our purpose and highlighting the sustainable power of science in agri-food.

A Planet of Plenty™ transcends environmental sustainability. It is a vision of a more positive future, full of promise and possibility. We must take actions that help sustain agriculture, revitalize rural communities and enable family businesses to thrive. We want to replenish the planet’s natural resources so farmers can continue to nourish the growing population.

Guided by this purpose, Alltech is:

• Developing nutritional and digital technologies, improved farm management practices, and innovations in animal well-being and human health
• Partnering with like-minded companies and individuals to solve high-impact issues
• Investing in education and talent development for the next generation of agri-food leadership
• Sharing the sustainable power of science in agri-food through stories and videos on our Planet of Plenty™ website and through our social media channels

Our Planet of Plenty™ purpose addresses humanity’s most basic requirements, as well as our aspirations for a better future.

We want to:

• Support agriculture to nourish a growing population
• Improve safety and quality within the food chain
• Add value and nutrition to fruits and vegetables, meat, milk, seafood and eggs
• Meet the demands of consumers to produce their food and beverages in a way that ensures the welfare of the animal and the environment

A commitment to the planet is in our DNA

Creating a Planet of Plenty™ is at the heart of who we’ve always been. Alltech founder Dr. Pearse Lyons wanted to ensure that the company would have an impact on our industry and our planet far into the future. In 1989, he committed Alltech to our guiding ACE principle, which required all our endeavors to seek the safety and well-being of animals, consumers and the environment. He fervently believed that the well-being of each element of the ACE principle depended on maintaining harmony between all three.

Thirty years later, against a backdrop of diminishing natural resources, a changing climate and a growing population, Alltech President and CEO Dr. Mark Lyons propelled the ACE principle into the future — and into a new world of possibility — with our newly defined purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™.

Demonstrating our sustainability commitments

The 2022 Alltech Sustainability Report shares our sustainability journey through the lens of the three main objectives of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™:

• Replenishing the planet’s natural resources
• Providing nutrition for all
• Revitalizing local economies

Download and read the report at alltech.com/sustainability.