What is sustainability?

The term “sustainability” has a lot of different meanings depending on whom you talk to and what their opinions are. In a broad context, global sustainability is an all-encompassing approach that includes environmental, social and economic resources.

When sustainability is talked about in the media in regard to agriculture, the environmental aspect is the one most focused on. For this blog, the environmental impact of poultry farming, especially with meat chickens and laying hens, will be discussed.

However, it is critical to acknowledge the positive economic and social sustainability provided by agriculture and poultry farming.  

Where does commercial poultry farming stand?

Poultry are unique in their breeding potential and the resulting creation of consumable protein, whether it is via eggs or meat. A bird generally has a three-week incubation period, with efficient and rapid growth.

When we look at protein production, meat chickens have the highest consumable protein-to-live-weight ratio when compared with other livestock sectors. However, this type of measurement does not take into consideration other aspects that contribute to biodiversity, carbon recycling, and other environmental considerations. For example, cattle production (beef and dairy) may have higher greenhouse gas emissions than commercial poultry farming production, but responsible grazing management helps to maintain natural wildlife habitats and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.    

Improvements over time and differences within production systems

Environmental life cycle assessments, as recognized by the United Nations environmental program, study environmental factors in the food supply chain. While this type of assessment is a good start, giving an idea of the impact of raising poultry, it does not consider many factors such as biodiversity, social and economic impacts.

Several environmental life cycle assessments for poultry production have been published, in many countries including Canada and the United States. The values from these assessments can be very region-specific.

Environmental impact of meat chicken

Chicken Farmers of Canada, Canada – 2017 vs. 1976 (CFC, 2018)

• Major productivity gains and 20% improvement in feed conversion ratio
• 45% lower water consumption
• 37% lower non-renewable energy consumption
• 37% lower greenhouse gas emissions

National Chicken Council, United States – 2020 vs. 2010 (NCC, 2021); 2010 vs. 1965 (Putman et al., 2017)

• Between 2010 and 2020, produced 21% more chicken by weight
• Between 2010 and 2020, had 13% lower water consumption per kilogram of bird production, compared to 58% lower from 1965 to 2010
• Between 2010 and 2020, had 13% less land use per kilogram of bird production, compared to 72% less from 1965 to 2010
• Between 2010 and 2020, had 18% lower greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of bird production, compared to 36% lower from 1965 to 2010

Environmental impact of egg production

Egg Farmers of Canada, Canada – 2012 vs. 1962 (Pelletier, 2017; Turner et al., 2019)

• Egg production increased more than 50%, with 35% improvement in feed conversion efficiency
• 81% less land used per unit of eggs produced
• 69% less water used per unit of eggs produced
• 72% lower greenhouse gas emissions per unit of eggs produced
• Various housing systems (e.g., organic, free run single or multitier, conventional, enriched) had different environmental impacts, with trade-offs between specific impacts

Egg Industry Center, United States – 2010 vs. 1960 (Pelletier et al., 2014)

• Egg production increased 27%, with 26% improvement in feed conversion efficiency
• 32% lower water use per dozen eggs
• 71% lower greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of eggs produced

In many countries, feed production had the most impact on the environment and resources. Different grains had different impacts depending on water use, contribution to nutrient runoff, ecosystem acidification and release of nitrogen. Work completed in the United Kingdom showed that the environmental impact of grains also changed depending on whether the grain had to be imported or was grown locally. Additionally, work completed in Brazil considered that the level of technology applied while raising poultry, along with the local availability of grains, had a major effect on emissions.

We must applaud the poultry industry for its constant improvements in production, resource use and emissions. Strategies such as continuing to improve efficiency and optimize manure management through actions such as nutrient cycling can be examples moving forward and will continue to help with farm profitability.

How can environmental sustainability relate to bird efficiency and profitability?

The connection between bird and intestinal health and environmental sustainability may seem far-fetched. Poultry have an amazing capability to turn feed into food. To maintain this efficiency at its optimum level, the bird should have as few stressors as possible so that the body can be focused on digesting and absorbing nutrients. Various feed additives, such as mannan-rich fraction (MRF), can successfully be used to support gut health management and overall bird performance.

The other side of poultry production is that what goes into the bird must come out of the bird as manure. Feeding as close to the bird’s requirements as possible is one step in reducing an overflow of nutrients being excreted into the manure. Different feed additives, including enzymes, can be used to prevent overfeeding of some nutrients and help with better utilization of byproducts, which can lessen the cost of feed. Another way to reduce the potential for nutrient runoff is to use proteinated trace minerals that are readily absorbed by the animal. When the mineral is readily absorbed by the animal, less of it can be included in the feed and less is excreted in the manure.

Some regions are focused on the environmental concern of nitrogen emissions into the atmosphere, and this concern can be partially addressed with feed. Nitrogen is a part of the protein that a bird must consume in order to grow. This protein is broken down in the bird and then released in several ways into the manure as different molecules that contain nitrogen. One of these molecules is ammonium, which can be released into the air as ammonia. As birds are fed closer to their true nitrogen requirements, nitrogen excretion and ammonia release are reduced, preventing emissions into the atmosphere. Another way to help reduce ammonia loss to the atmosphere is through the use of litter amendments or through the feed with different binding products, such as those derived from the Yucca schidigera plant. However, if a plant extract is being used to combat this issue, there has to be an environmental sustainability plan in place to offset the harvesting of the plant.  

Where to go from here

Overall, poultry productions in many countries have reduced their total environmental footprint over time while maintaining the positive economic and social benefits of the industry.

Feed production has been found to have some of the highest impacts on the total footprint in broiler meat and egg production. Various nutritional strategies can be used to improve different aspects that contribute to a production’s total environmental footprint and overall profitability. Currently, poultry are not 100% efficient at converting feed to food, so there is a limit on the impact of nutritional and health strategies that must be combined with other methods to improve emissions and resource use.

This is a paraphrase of an article printed in Canadian Poultry Magazine (July 2, 2020) – “Building a green footprint,” by Kayla Price

References

“Broiler production system life cycle assessment: 2020 update.” National Chicken Council. Retrieved September 18, 2023. < https://nccsite.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Broiler-Production-System-LCA_2020-Update.pdf>

Da Silva Lima, N.D., de Alencar Nääs, I., Garcia, R.G., and de Moura, D.J. 2019. Environmental impact of Brazilian broiler production process: Evaluation using life cycle assessment. Journal of Cleaner Production 237: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117752.

Dyer, J.A., Verge, X.P.C., Desjardins, R.L., and Worth, D.E. 2010. The protein-based GHG emission intensity for livestock products in Canada. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 34: 618-29.

“Environmental sustainability.” Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Retrieved April 29, 2020. <https://www.cattle.ca/sustainability/environmental-sustainability/>

Leinonen, I., Williams, A.G., Wiseman, J., Guy, J., and Kyriazkis, I. 2012. Predicting the environmental impacts of chicken systems in the United Kingdom through a life cycle assessment: Broiler production systems. Poultry Science 91: 8-25.

Leinonen, I., Williams, A.G., Wiseman, J., Guy, J., and Kyriazkis, I. 2012. Predicting the environmental impacts of chicken systems in the United Kingdom through a life cycle assessment: Egg production systems. Poultry Science 91: 26-40.

McClelland, S.C., Arndt, C., Gordon, D.R., and Thoma, G. 2018. Type and number of environmental impact categories used in livestock life cycle assessment: A systematic review. Livestock Science 209: 39-45.

Nguyen, T.T.H, Bouvarel, I., Ponchant, P., and van der Werf, H.M.G. 2011. Using environmental constraints to formulate low-impact poultry feeds. Journal of Cleaner Production 28: 215-24.

Pelletier, N. 2017. Life cycle assessment of Canadian egg products, with differentiation by hen housing system type. Journal of Cleaner Production 152: 167-80.

Pelletier, N. 2018. Changes in the life cycle environmental footprint of egg production in Canada from 1962 to 2012. Journal of Cleaner Production 176: 1144-53.

Pelletier, N., Doyon, M., Muirhead, B., Widowski, T., Nurse-Gupta, J., and Hunniford, M. 2018. Sustainability in the Canadian egg industry: Learning from the past, navigating the present, planning for the future. Sustainability 10: 3524.

Pelletier, N., Ibarburu, M., and Xin, H. 2014. Comparison of the environmental footprint of the egg industry in the United States in 1960 and 2010. Poultry Science 93: 241-55.

Powers, W. and Angel, R. 2008. A review of the capacity for nutritional strategies to address environmental challenges in poultry production. Poultry Science 87: 1929-38.

Putman, B., Thoma, G., Burek, J., and Matlock, M. 2017. A retrospective analysis of the United States poultry industry: 1965 compared with 2010. Agricultural Systems 157: 107-117.

“Sustainability assessment of the Canadian chicken value chain.” Chicken Farmers of Canada. Retrieved April 29, 2020. <https://www.chickenfarmers.ca/resources/sustainability-assessment-of-the-canadian-chicken-value-chain/>

“Sustained progress: Environmental efficiency of Canadian milk production.” Dairy Farmers of Canada. Retrieved April 29, 2020. <https://dairyfarmersofcanada.ca/sites/default/files/2019-06/PLC-Info-%20EN.pdf>

Turner, I., Heidari, D., and Pelletier, N. 2022. Life cycle assessment of contemporary Canadian egg production systems during the transition from conventional cage to alternative housing systems: Update and analysis of trends and conditions. Resources, Conversation and Recycling 176: 1-11.

“What is sustainability?” University of Alberta Office of Sustainability. Retrieved April 29, 2020. <https://www.mcgill.ca/sustainability/files/sustainability/what-is-sustainability.pdf>

I want to learn more about poultry nutrition.

[HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam] – Twenty-four chief executive officers (CEOs) from across the Vietnamese agri-food sector convened this week at the Alltech Vietnam Agri-food Summit in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss how to sustainably meet the challenges currently facing the industry.

Alltech invited the changemakers and thought leaders in attendance to share their insights on various critical topics, including consumer trends, agricultural technologies and the biggest opportunities for the Vietnamese market. The group also explored how the industry can continue to innovate and work together to nourish both people and the planet.

“Alltech is a connector of people and ideas,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Through collective leadership and teamwork, we believe we can drive the industry forward with the shared purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™. But to achieve this vision, we will need curiosity, openness to new technologies and ways of working, and, above all, a commitment to positive impact.”

The Alltech Vietnam Agri-food Summit showcased a panel discussion moderated by Jonathan Forrest Wilson, president of Alltech Asia-Pacific. The panelists included Dr. Mark Lyons, Vy Thi Thu Hang, feed & nutrition director and CEO of Feedmill, TH Milk; Tara McCarthy, global vice president for ESG at Alltech; and Michael Joseph Sweeney, partner at Bluegrass Partners and director of strategy for Alltech Asia-Pacific.

The panel discussion delved into identifying and understanding the prominent shifts and hurdles affecting the agri-food industry in Vietnam at present, and key drivers behind these changes. Several attendees shared their viewpoints regarding the outlook for the agriculture and agri-food sector, expressing whether they hold an optimistic or pessimistic stance on its future trajectory globally and locally.

Over recent decades, Vietnam has developed into one of the world's leading agricultural powers, with a modern, efficient and environmentally friendly agricultural processing industry — and based on the most recent feed-production data, the country is demonstrating its potential.

According to the 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook, the company’s annual global feed production survey, Vietnam experienced a significant increase in its feed tonnage in 2022 — which went up 27.72% to 26.72 million metric tons (MMT) — thanks to its strong recovery from African swine fever (ASF). This included a major increase of 3.78 MMT in its broiler feed tonnage and an increase of 3.36 MMT in its pig feed tonnage. As a result of these increases, Vietnam joined the list of the top 10 largest feed-producing countries in the world.

“Vietnam agri-food has a bright future and unlimited possibilities. As a major exporter of agri-food, Vietnam is an attractive market for both local and foreign investment,” said Forrest Wilson. “We will continue to provide local solutions with global resources and technologies for our partners and customers to develop a prosperous future together.”

Alltech began operating in Vietnam in 1994 and officially opened a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City in 2000. In the decades since, Alltech has fostered strong partnerships within the industry and the local community. Alltech Vietnam moved to Dong Nai in 2006, where its operations expanded with the construction of a production plant in Amata IP later that year.

In November of 2022, Alltech continued its investments in Vietnam with the opening of a trace-mineral manufacturing facility in Dong Nai to better serve its local customers and support imports and exports. Next month, Alltech will join the American Feed Industry Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in meetings to collaborate with the Vietnam Feed Association and Vietnam Animal Husbandry Association on biosecurity and immune health.

For more information, visit Alltech.com/Vietnam.

Cage-free egg production: trends and impact on the welfare of laying hens

Cage-free systems have been the most impactful trend for egg producers in recent decades. Also called “alternative” systems, they already account for over 60% of eggs produced in the European Union (Graph 1), and the European Commission is currently assessing the feasibility of banning cage systems starting in 2027. The share of cage-free hens has also been steadily increasing in the United States: it currently stands at 39%, more than twice what it was in 2018 (18%). A recent survey has revealed that major U.S. egg producers believe that 66% of the nation’s hens will be cage-free in 2030. Likewise, on a worldwide level, many large egg producers, retailers, food service companies and hotel chains have committed to banning cage systems from their egg supply chains.

Graph 1: Share of laying hens housed in each system (enriched cage, barn, free-range or organic), European Union. Source: European Commission.

Cage-free houses provide laying hens with more space and equipment (litter, slats, nests, etc.), which enables greater mobility and increased expression of the birds’ natural behaviors. However, even cage-free farming can be associated with some welfare concerns, such as wet litter, air quality, gut health, several parasitic and infectious diseases, feather pecking and keel bone fractures, which need to be addressed by egg producers.

Keel bone fractures

Keel bone fractures (Image 1) are an important welfare problem of modern egg production. Cage-free housing systems have been associated with a significantly higher prevalence and severity of keel bone fractures (KBF), and most researchers believe that KBF are due to trauma from collisions with house equipment. However, a recent study reported that collisions cannot be responsible for most fractures, proposing instead that KBF develop from the inside of the keel by a mechanism not yet understood.

Image 1: Keel bone fractures, from normal (left) to most severe (right).
Source: Wilkins et al., (2011).

Total Replacement Technology™ (TRT): impact on egg quality, mineral excretion and bone health

Animal feed has traditionally been supplemented with high levels of inorganic trace minerals (ITMs). Those ITMs undergo antagonistic reactions with important feed components, such as other minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and enzymes, thereby reducing the nutritive value of feed. Furthermore, the use of high levels of ITMs generates a heavy load of minerals in the manure. In order to reduce mineral excretion and mitigate the associated environmental impacts, it is necessary to decrease the level of mineral supplementation, without sacrificing the health and performance of farm animals.

Genetic companies have made remarkable progress in the selection of laying hens with improved persistency in lay and eggshell quality. Production standards are now available until 100 weeks of age, and hens may produce over 500 eggs. However, in many countries, laying hen flocks are still routinely depleted around 80 weeks of age, due to non-genetic factors that affect flock performance and egg quality. Among those factors, eggshell defects are the main reason to terminate a layer flock.

An effective solution to optimize egg production and eggshell quality with a reduction in mineral excretion can be achieved by replacing ITMs with organically bound minerals at lower inclusion levels. Qiu et al. (2020) accomplished a significant reduction in the fecal concentration of Zn (-44%), Mn (-53%), Cu (-58%) and Fe (-61%) when ITMs were totally replaced with much lower levels of Alltech’s Bioplex® proteinates Zn, Mn, Cu and Fe (just one third of the supplemented ITM levels). The same study also showed a significant reduction in the percentage of rejected eggs (soft shells, broken shells, misshapen eggs and other defects).

Image 2: Total Replacement Technology (TRT)

More recently, a study was performed in brown laying hens, over five cage-free farms, to investigate the effect of replacing ITMs with organic trace minerals (OTMs) on eggshell strength, mineral excretion, keel bone and tibia traits*.

The control and treatment birds received diets of the same specifications, except for Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe and Se. Control birds received a diet supplemented with ITM only, at conventional levels. The treatment group’s diet was supplemented with OTM only, using Total Replacement Technology™ (TRT): ITMs were totally replaced with Bioplex proteinates for Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe, at approximately 40% of ITM levels used in the control diet, and the inorganic Se source was replaced with organic selenium yeast (Alltech’s Sel-Plex®).

Despite the reduced mineral supplementation in the diet, eggshell strength was significantly improved in treatment (TRT) birds during the trial (p˂0.05), whereas the mineral content in the feces of Zn, Mn, Cu, Ca, K and Na was significantly lower (p˂0.05, Table 1). These results further validate that TRT™ significantly reduces mineral excretion in the feces of laying hens, due to the higher bioavailability of Bioplex proteinates. The reduced excretion of Ca, K and Na is likely a consequence of the reduced antagonistic interaction when removing ITMs from the diet, allowing for improved intestinal absorption.

Table 1: Mineral content in the manure

Tibia breaking strength, Ca and P contents were unaffected by treatment (Graph 2). Calcium and phosphorus percentages in keel bone ash were greater in TRT birds, while ash percentage and keel bone breaking strength were lower (p˂0.05, Graph 3). However, TRT birds had a lower keel bone damage score than the control in the caudal (p˂0.05, Table 2), middle and cranial portions of the keel, which means that TRT had a lower percentage of birds with damaged keels (fractures and/or deviations).

Graph 2: Tibia chemical and mechanical traits

Table 2: Keel bone damage scores

Graph 3: Keel bone chemical and mechanical traits

Lower keel bone damage score in TRT birds was associated with reduced mineralization. The healing process of KBF goes along the formation of a fracture callus, in which a greater mineral content is found. A higher number of fractures results in more callus formation, which can explain this study’s results.

The finding that keel bone damage was greater in the group with greater keel breaking strength indicates that other bone structural factors, still unidentified, have a role in the development of keel bone damage. This is in agreement with recent research on KBF (Thøfner et al., 2020).

These novel findings demonstrate that TRT can increase eggshell strength and reduce mineral excretion, while maintaining tibia strength and alleviating keel bone damage in laying hens.

*Presented at the XIXth European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products, Kraków (Poland), September 2023 (Estevinho, J., Walker, H., Taylor-Pickard, J. Total Replacement Technology™ (TRT) improves eggshell strength and keel bone health, while reducing mineral excretion.

If left unchecked, the potential global impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could result in a tenfold increase in AMR-associated human deaths by 2050. On this episode of the Ag Future podcast, Dr. Jules Taylor-Pickard, director of gut health at Alltech, discusses the primary contributors to AMR — including factors such as antimicrobial misuse in humans and animals, as well as the influence of climate change on animal health. Dr. Taylor-Pickard also explores optimal gut-health strategies that producers can adopt to enhance the resilience of animals to infectious and non-infectious stresses, ultimately reducing their reliance on antibiotics.

The following is an edited transcript of the Ag Future podcast episode with Dr. Jules Taylor-Pickard hosted by Tom Martin. Click below to hear the full audio or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

Tom Martin:           I’m Tom Martin.

And for this episode of Ag Future, we’re joined by Dr. Jules Taylor-Pickard, director of (the) Alltech gut health management (platform).

                               Welcome, Jules.

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         Thank you. I’m delighted to be here.

Tom Martin:           So, let’s — let’s just dig right into AMR. What are the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance in animals?

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         The main driver is — there’s a lot of different drivers, actually. But some of the main ones include the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials, both in animals and humans, but also poor husbandry and management, inadequate nutrition, poor biosecurity practices, but also poor infection (mitigation), together with disease prevention and control, in both human health care facilities and farms.

But there’s also a lot to do around awareness and knowledge and enforcement of legislation. So, there’s lots of steps that can be taken, at all levels of society, to reduce the impact and limit the spread of resistance.

Tom Martin:           We’re looking at all of the effects of climate change in so many walks of life, and I’m wondering if it affects this one. Is climate change affecting antimicrobial resistance in animals?

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         Climate change has an impact by creating more environmental stress for animals, such as heat stress, drought, floods and wildfires — which, of course, we’re seeing an awful lot (of) in the present. And this can result in a weakened immune system (for) both animals and humans and can make them most susceptible to infections and less responsive to antibiotics.

                               But what’s also interesting (is that) there’s research that showed that increase in temperatures can increase both the rate of bacterial growth and the rate of spread of antibiotic-resistant genes between microorganisms.

                               And the increased use — and, sometimes, the misuse — of antimicrobials and other microbial stresses, such as pollution, could also create favorable conditions for microorganisms to develop resistance in animals and humans, but also in the surrounding environment.

                               So, for example, bacteria in water, soil and air can acquire resistance following contact with resistant microorganisms.

Tom Martin:           We’ve been seeing a lot of heat extremes this summer. Have you heard of any effects from that?

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         Not directly yet, but I don’t think people are specifically looking at it.

But one good example is if we look at colistin, which has been bound as an antibiotic. When they first discovered resistance (to it) — which was in a pig farm in China that was using it quite extensively — it wasn’t really found anywhere else, but within a year, it was found globally. And they put that down to the wild birds and the migration, which, I think, we can resonate with avian influenza at the minute — you know, (with) the migratory birds, of course, avian influenza (is able) to move around the world at much faster rate than we’ve ever experienced before.

Tom Martin:           You mentioned that AMR reduction efforts prioritize strengthening the intestinal barrier and gut health strategies. And first, if you would, tell us about the challenges to improving animal gut health.

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         Gut health is really fundamental — optimal gut health is really fundamental — to the whole functionality of the animal. So, it’s the gateway to optimal nutritional health, if you like.

                               So, good or optimal gut health increases the resilience of animals to infectious and non-infectious stresses, and that in itself reduces the requirement to use antibiotics. If you can reduce the requirement, then that will have an impact on antimicrobial resistance.

                               But, as well, some of the work we’ve been doing (shows that) optimal gut health is also critical for optimal and cost-effective productivity. So, we know, for example, that 70% of the immune system is associated with the gut, so it’s logical that, if we can keep gut health in check, then we can reduce antibiotic use.

                               And it’s also important to ensure that our animals have the immune competence to handle any insults or disease that may come along, and that’s all related to gut health.

Tom Martin:           What are some important opportunities for improving animal gut health?

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         Actually, there’s lots of opportunities — it’s a really exciting area to work in.

So, here at Alltech, we’ve researched nutritional strategies to improve gut health extensively. So, for example, we know that one of our technologies, Actigen, can improve the integrity of tight junctions in the gut, which give us better intestinal barrier function. 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. Again, this highlights the importance of good gut health.

                               But I think it’s also important to remember that antibiotics only affect the microbiota. So, if an animal experiences a combination of heat stress, for example, together with an impairment to barrier function, classical antibiotics aren’t effective, as they don’t have any anti-inflammatory effects; they just deal with the bugs and don’t have any impacts on the gut level.

                               So, if we’re trying to approach antimicrobial resistance (and) antibiotic use via gut health, this strategy deals with the intestinal barrier as well as the pathogens.

Tom Martin:           Are there economic and social consequences — and I realize that the two often intersect — but are there economic and social consequences from failing to take action against AMR?

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         Absolutely. So, The Lancet put this to report in 2019. And in that report, they quoted that 5 million human deaths were associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance. And 1.3 million deaths are directly attributed to bacterial antimicrobial resistance.

                               And they also, in that report, stated that if we don’t do anything, if it’s left unchecked, these numbers are projected to amplify ten times by 2050. That’s ten times by 2050.

                               And they also went on to say that we should expect AMR, which is quite logical, to impact lower-income or less-developed countries to an even greater extent — especially those with poor infection control and prevention measures and inadequate nutrition, for example.

Tom Martin:           Well, how would you suggest we raise awareness and, maybe more importantly, change behavior amongst stakeholders in animal health — and would that call for different approaches in different regions?

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         Yeah, I think so. I think it’s not a one-size-fits-all. So, in terms of raising awareness, I think it’s about education — and education of everyone. And we need to try and bring people with us on this journey.

                               So, for me, first of all, you need to create awareness of the issue, and then, once you’ve got that awareness, then we need to build the desire to do something about it. And then, finally, (we need to create) the call to action and make people realize that we can all do our piece. It’s not just an agricultural issue; we can do a lot from our side, from the human side.

                               You mentioned regional differences. (There can be) massive differences, because if you think about some parts of the world, they have limited access to clean water; they don’t have enough food to feed their families. So, our strategies have to be adapted for what’s realistic and what they can achieve.

So, in those circumstances, we can work with producers to help them to understand how they can raise their animals in the best possible way to keep them healthy — whereas, obviously, in the more developed regions of the world, the fundamentals are the same, but we have more access to alternative feeding strategies, for example, using different genetics that may be more resilient, precision nutrition, better hygiene and biosecurity, health plans, etc., to help us.

And that’s something that we’ve been doing, is making sure that we do have a different approach that is appropriate to the conditions in different parts of the world.

Tom Martin:           Who would you say are the key actors or influencers in promoting alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in reducing antibiotic use in animal health? Who should be driving this conversation?

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         Again, I think everybody has a role to play. It’s not just an agricultural issue; society in general can have a really active role.

                               So, for example, if we consider some of those main drivers of antimicrobial resistance, which we discussed earlier — including the use and misuse of antimicrobials for infection and disease prevention and control on farms — all stakeholders can help. And that’s something that we’ve been doing: trying to work with everybody across the chain.

                               But it’s interesting. The EU Public Health Alliance, in 2022, published four overarching policies and targets to combat AMR. And they were to reduce the levels of antibiotic use on-farm, (which) makes sense; trying to only use antibiotics for individual treatments — so, rather than treating the whole group of animals, just try to treat those that are specifically sick. Because obviously, if our animals are sick, we do need to treat them, because that’s a welfare issue.

                               But also, making better use of data — making sure that we’re recording, quite accurately, antibiotic-use data collected by species and farming system — so that we can really understand what’s happening in terms of, “Is it the antibiotic use on a specific farm or is it some of this environmental resistance that we’re picking up?”

                               And then, really looking at having restrictions on some of those highest-priority, critically important antibiotics for both humans and animals to make sure that we’re using the most appropriate antibiotics in the most appropriate circumstances.

Tom Martin:           Are there some general practices and recommendations that you would offer for improving animal health, welfare and environmental sustainability, for that matter?

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         Yeah. So, as I’ve said, we need to take a holistic approach to animal production. There are lots of alternatives that can promote health and prevent disease.

                               So, in terms of the general practices, we’re talking about precision feeding — so altering the nutrition and the diets to match the critical phases of life. So, for example, the neonatal period or the transition period or, for example, when birds stress at peak lay.

Quite often, water is overlooked, and we don’t think about the sanitation of the water. (Other factors include) farming management, biosecurity, hygiene. I mentioned genetics earlier in terms of having more resilient breeds. Vaccination programs have a huge part to play, together with working with the veterinarians and the nutritionists.

And, of course, nutritional alternatives; I touched on Actigen earlier. That’s been demonstrated to positively impact gut health, reduce antibiotic use, improve food safety — because you’re reducing some of those pathogens — and reduce the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance.

Tom Martin:           All right. That’s Dr. Jules Taylor-Pickard, director of Alltech gut health management.

                               Thank you so much for joining us, Dr. Taylor-Pickard.

Jules Taylor-Pickard:         That’s great. And thank you very much for having me.

Tom Martin:           And for Ag Future, I’m Tom Martin.

[Serdán, Mexico] – Alltech, a leading global animal health and nutrition company, celebrated 30 years of operations at its production facility in the Mexican city of Serdán, in a ceremony on Tuesday that included Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of the company, guests from around the world, local officials and Alltech team members.

Thirty years ago, Alltech’s research into the benefits of Yucca schidigera extract for animal health, performance and welfare paved the way for the company to establish a Yucca schidigera processor in the city of Serdán. The place was chosen for its semi-desert climate, where the yucca plant grows naturally. Serdán is located 190 kilometres southeast of Mexico City and has access to one of the most important ports in the country: Veracruz; from which two of its most important technologies are exported: De-Odorase® and Allzyme® SFF.

Alltech’s investment in Serdán increased Alltech’s operational footprint and offered new nutritional solutions that improve animal health and production efficiency. However, the resulting partnership between Alltech and the community of Serdán has been even more significant.

“The way the community and our company work together is incredible,” said Dr. Mark Lyons. “From the very beginning, we have been linked, as the success of one builds the success of the other.”

Alltech and the residents of Serdán have worked together on numerous community engagement projects that support underserved families and vulnerable populations. The collaboration began with supporting a local children's home, Casa Hogar, and has now grown to 23 active projects.

“Serdán has served as a template for Alltech’s community involvement activities all around the world,” Lyons said. “We ask our colleagues in 350 communities around the world to ‘make a difference’ as our founder Dr. Pearse Lyons encouraged us, and Alltech Serdán is the best example of this spirit. This is a place where the culture of Alltech is truly alive.”

Making a difference is one of Alltech’s core values — a founding principle of the company.

“Dr. Pearse Lyons would be traveling the world and might call at any time to ask how things were going at the plant,” said Paul Kilgallen, Latin America fermentation facilities director. “A call from Dr. Lyons never ended without him asking, ‘And what are we doing for the community. How are the projects going?’”

Alltech Serdán has received numerous recognitions for its community involvement, including being certified by Empresa Socialmente Responsable (ESR) for the past five years. This award recognizes the company’s commitment to implement socially responsible management practices and promote community projects, including supporting schools, orphanages, health centers and more. Alltech Serdán’s community activities are complemented by the constant application of responsible business practices with suppliers, customers and workers.

“Alltech takes great pride in this manufacturing facility and its 30 years of making a positive impact on the community,” Lyons said. “A visit with our team members in Serdán always reminds me of the meaningful impact we can have when we work together.”

Harnessing the power of yucca — and solid-state fermentation

Since the 1990s, Alltech’s research on Yucca schidigera had shown that the glycocomponents it contains can significantly reduce ammonia emissions from the livestock industry. The company designed De-Odorase, a solution made from an extract of the yucca plant that helps reduce the levels of harmful gases from animal waste. When Alltech Serdán began operations in 1993, the facility had the capacity to process 40 tons of yucca per month. This figure has since grown tenfold.

Years later, in 2000, thanks to a project led by Kilgallen and Dr. Mark Lyons, Alltech Serdán also became the company’s first production plant to take charge of the solid-state fermentation process to produce Allzyme SSF. This natural enzyme complex, which maximizes the release of nutrients from the feed, allows agricultural producers to reduce the cost of their diets by making their formulations more flexible.

Replenishing the planet’s resources

Alltech Serdán’s commitment to sustainability aligns with the company’s purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™, which begins locally with the replanting of Yucca schidigera. For every yucca tree harvested for Alltech’s nutritional solutions, the company plants three new trees using seedlings from the facility’s on-site nursery, which has grown more than 200,000 seedlings thus far.

In addition, Alltech inaugurated its first global renewable energy project in Serdán in 2022: a photovoltaic solar energy system that covers 46% of the energy requirements of its operations. With the new system, Alltech has seen energy cost-savings of 22% in the first year the system has been used and a reduction of 650 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions per year. That reduction is equivalent to 11,000 tree seedlings growing for 10 years.

The facility also switched from using liquefied petroleum gas to compressed natural gas, reducing its annual CO₂ emissions by 17%. Likewise, the implementation of an economizer in steam boilers allowed the plant to reduce 240 tons of CO₂ per year.

Alltech Serdán’s anniversary reinforces the company’s global commitment to continue seeking the success of local producers, promoting animal welfare, and having a positive impact on the communities in which it is present.

For more information, visit alltech.com/es-mx.  

Coccidiosis has always had a huge economic impact on the commercial poultry industry, sharply reducing productivity and profits, and producers rely on effective — and cost-effective — solutions to prevent and treat it. In the past, synthetic anticoccidial drugs and antibiotics, including ionophores, were the primary preventative measure in commercial poultry rearing practices. Today, with increasing demands for antibiotic-free and sustainably raised meat, producers are looking for new options to manage coccidiosis and the secondary bacterial infections that often result from it.

Let’s review how coccidiosis happens, how it harms both your birds and your bottom line, and what new frontiers in prevention and treatment are available.

Coccidiosis: the cause, the effects

Coccidiosis in poultry is primarily caused by intestinal infection by Eimeria, a genus of protozoan parasite. Eimeria enters its host through the ingestion of sporulated ova from a contaminated environment and then replicates in the intestines throughout its life cycle. Depending on the Eimeria species, different parts of the intestine and cecum can be affected.

During the endogenous phase of coccidia cycling, which includes colonization, growth and reproduction, most of the damage occurs in the small intestine and cecum. Cycling causes disruption of the intestinal mucosa and microbiome, often leading to intestinal lesions, and it damages the bird’s natural immunity. The impact of coccidiosis on gut microbiota can be observed throughout the life of the flock.

In addition to the direct sequelae of coccidiosis, secondary bacterial infections can cause ongoing problems. These are attributed to the incurred damage to gut mechanical barriers, which increases intestinal permeability and interactions with the chemical barriers, particularly mucus secretion, compromising the immune system’s cellular and humoral components. Coccidiosis has been implicated, at least partly, in such issues as necrotic enteritis, co-infection with other protozoal infections, failure to achieve full immunity from vaccines, and increases in pathogenic bacteria of food safety concern, including Salmonella and Campylobacter. Between these direct and indirect effects, a sharp increase in the flock’s morbidity and mortality can be observed.

Compounding these problems is the fact that, in commercial poultry production, coccidiosis may escape notice at first since the only signs may be slight decreases in performance parameters such as feed conversion and weight gain. This makes diagnosis difficult and often prevents the timely use of control strategies. Eventually, infected birds may display ruffled feathers, vent pasting from diarrhea, and foot pad dermatitis from increasingly wet litter. In fact, the house litter environment is a useful indicator, showing evidence of diarrhea, increased mucus in feces, more undigested feed and a stronger ammonia odor.

The impact of coccidia on high-density flocks is a challenge to the poultry industry. The number of birds in reused litter and the pecking of litter infected with the protozoa contribute to the degree of infection seen in the birds. However, coccidia can also be observed in backyard/hobby flocks, with variable degrees of morbidity and even mortality. Backyard/hobby birds are typically not vaccinated and have different types of housing and bird densities. The impact of coccidia on this style of production depends on the type of confinement and the exposure to infected manure. Diagnosis of backyard/hobby birds can also be difficult and dependent on level of flock management and onset of clinical signs.

Coccidiosis and sustainability

Today, both consumers and producers place an increased importance on sustainability. It’s commonly said that the three pillars of sustainability are economic, social and environmental, and coccidiosis and its control and treatment fall under all three.

Economically, coccidiosis continues to be one of the top diseases of concern. Performance losses associated with the disease directly affect profitability, particularly in the broiler industry. Coccidiosis has been estimated to cause economic losses in excess of $3 billion globally. In recent recalculations using prices from 2016, it was shown that in the U.S. alone, the total cost of coccidiosis was around $1.57 billion.

Much of this economic loss is due to the effects of coccidiosis on feed conversion ratios, and as feed ingredients and other commodities continue to increase in price, the cost of production is expected to be higher going forward. Therefore, it will be key to maintain productivity and decrease losses during coccidia challenges. Farms continuously afflicted by uncontrolled, or inadequately controlled, coccidiosis may not be able to reach the full potential of their flocks.

Regarding the social pillar, this includes not only human well-being but animal welfare, which has recently been of increased focus in the poultry industry. During coccidiosis, hindered nutrition and secondary bacterial infections that arise from the disease can affect its welfare directly and indirectly. Therefore, appropriate programs and interventions are needed.

Environmentally, increased demands for sustainability and more healthful foods are driving poultry rearing practices that produce more nutritious meat and reduce carbon footprint and general environmental impact. Vaccination as a means of prevention is particularly popular in the U.S. and has shown advantages because it doesn’t induce drug resistance and can help decrease resistant coccidia on farm. The use of coccidia vaccines also allows for early harvest without the constraints of drug withdrawal periods. Additionally, better biosecurity, cleaning and disinfection measures and longer downtime between flocks have helped decrease the challenge as well as the introduction of resistant Eimeria.

Finally, as the industry has shifted away from the use of antibiotics as growth-promoting and anticoccidial agents, naturally derived feed additive alternatives that fight coccidiosis have become more popular.

Let’s explore some of those options.

Fighting coccidiosis with natural feed additives

Feed additives contain different classes of molecules, compounds and beneficial organisms that help with feed preservation and that enhance nutrition, digestion and metabolism, improving animal health. In poultry, some commonly used natural feed additives involve single or combination preparations of acidifiers, antibiotics, prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, plant derivatives, extracts, immunostimulants, flavoring agents, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, among others. A few of these particularly stand out, showing a great deal of promise:

Saponins: Secondary metabolites derived from plants such as Yucca schidigera, saponins combat coccidia by causing membrane rupture and death in the parasites. They also promote the digestion and absorption of nutrients and have nonspecific immunomodulatory effects. 

Essential oils: Another category of natural feed additives with antioxidant, anticoccidial, antimicrobial and antifungal effects is essential oils. Their modes of action are not fully understood, and not all plants in the same species or subspecies have the same properties, but overall, essential oils are appealing to producers looking for natural alternatives. The main activity of essential oils comes from combinations of phenols such as carvacrol and thymol, especially as found in the oregano plant. These polyphenol combinations can interfere with energy metabolism, membrane stability and protein synthesis in bacteria, depending strongly on the particular membrane arrangement and cell wall structure of those bacteria.

Prebiotics: These preparations, such as mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) derived from yeast cell wall Saccharomyces cerevisiae, can improve feed efficiency and protect the gastrointestinal microbiota. Mannan-rich fractions (MRFs), extracts of such mannan oligosaccharides, are of particular interest because they can bind to pathogenic bacteria, preventing colonization to the gut wall. MRFs can also enhance immune activity, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract, and their capability as an intestinal immunomodulator, or regulator, works in conjunction with coccidia vaccine programs.

Antioxidants: Coccidia can cause an imbalance in the antioxidant status of birds, with damaging effects that can make the birds more susceptible to coccidia infections and their sequelae. Antioxidants provide cellular protection against oxidative stress and reduce the severity of coccidia infections.

Supplementation with selenium and zinc in diets has been shown to help chickens resist coccidiosis, thus improving performance through increased body weight gain and a reduction in mortality. These trace minerals offer antioxidant effects and much more. Selenium is essential in the making of selenoproteins, which are involved in processes such as cellular maintenance, hormone metabolism, immune response, and oxidative and calcium homeostasis. Zinc plays a major role in healing and also in supporting the immune system, DNA and protein formation, and cellular growth.

During coccidiosis, some vitamins and minerals cannot be absorbed well within the gut, and decreased bioavailability of these nutrients can increase cellular damage and decrease the levels of enzymes involved in the essential breakdown of oxygen molecules in the cells. Organic versions of trace minerals, however, have been shown to be more bioavailable in general than inorganic compounds, both with and without the presence of coccidia. These organic trace minerals are also considered to be less toxic when handled or incorporated into the environment.

Each of these types of feed additives exerts different benefits over coccidia, including boosting immunity, balancing gut microbiota, and enhancing gastrointestinal functionality and repair. While one option might not improve productivity as well as a traditional treatment like antibiotics can, when these alternative options are combined, they can potentiate one another, building a framework of sustainable support for bird health. For instance, natural blends of feed additives have been shown to help prevent coccidiosis, reduce lesion scores, and improve performance parameters such feed conversion and body weight.

Naturally derived feed additives are continually being explored and in more recent years viewed as a viable alternative to complement poultry rearing programs. This is in part due to the degree of bioavailability of some of these compounds and the positive approval of the consumer. For instance, since organic trace minerals are more readily bioavailable, they’re excreted at lower levels, mitigating waste and environmental harm.

Conclusion

As the commercial poultry industry continues its shift toward antibiotic-free production, we must continue to evaluate the roles and opportunities that natural feed additives can provide to poultry. Since variability in facets of the coccidia challenge has become more evident, we can see that alternative natural feed additives with a variety of modalities may decrease the negative impacts of coccidiosis across the board. These additives are affordable, effective and easy to use, and they are ideal for complementing or replacing more traditional coccidia control strategies while gaining the approval of consumers who value sustainability on the economic, social and environmental levels.

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[PALM SPRINGS, Ca.] – During the 2023 Ag Media Summit (AMS), held in Palm Springs, California, Jul. 30–Aug. 2, agricultural communications students were honored for their excellence, professionalism and leadership. The Livestock Publications Council (LPC) Student Award Program, sponsored by Alltech, provides travel scholarships for four students to attend AMS. This year’s finalists were Molly Biggs, Kansas State University; Tessa Erdmann, South Dakota State University; Maddy Rohr, Kansas State University; and Carlye Winfrey, Texas Tech University.

Following a competitive application and interview process, Carlye Winfrey from Texas Tech University was awarded the LPC Forrest Bassford Student Award. She is a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications with a minor in political science.

“This award is more than my name or college receiving recognition but showcases the contributions Forrest Bassford made so agricultural communications students like me can achieve success,” Winfrey said. “I am thankful to the faculty at Texas Tech for encouraging me to apply and am grateful for the countless mentors I have in this field.”

Winfrey is currently interning in Washington, D.C., through her college’s congressional internship program. She was previously editor for The Agriculturist, a student-led publication produced by the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications at Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Winfrey also completed internships with the United States Department of State in their Global Public Affairs Bureau and with the Merck Animal Health Public Policy Team, and she was a student assistant on campus for the Texas Tech University System.

“In my future career, I want to help shape policy to best serve the people of rural America,” Winfrey said. “My agricultural communications degree will allow me to walk through the halls of the U.S. Congress and share the stories that rural America is so desperately needing to be told. The narrative of agricultural communications is changing, and I am responsible to help change it.”

“Alltech is proud to support the next generation of agricultural communicators as the ambassadors and voice of our industry,” said Jenn Norrie, Alltech’s communications manager for North America and Europe. “These young leaders are playing an instrumental role in sharing stories of farmers and ranchers and helping to educate the urban population on where and whom their food comes from.”

The Forrest Bassford Student Award was established in 1992 to honor Bassford’s contributions to the Livestock Publications Council and passion for supporting young people in the agricultural communications field. To learn more about this award and past recipients, click here.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] — One of Alltech’s mycotoxin research papers has been recognized by Toxins, a prestigious international research journal, as one of three winners of their 2022 Best Paper Awards. The paper, “Co-Occurrence of 35 Mycotoxins: A Seven-Year Survey of Corn Grain and Corn Silage in the United States,” was written by Alltech Mycotoxin Management team members Dr. Alexandra Weaver, global technical support; Nick Adams, global director; and Dr. Alex Yiannikouris, research group director; along with an independent researcher Dr. Daniel Weaver.

“Research and innovation are at the core of our business at Alltech, and we are proud of this recognition of the innovative work being conducted by our global mycotoxin management team,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Mycotoxins are ever-present on the farm, and they pose a real threat to the productivity of even the best-run livestock production operations. Mycotoxin management should be on every feed producer and farmer’s radar.”

Alltech’s winning paper describes how mycotoxins contaminate corn grain and silage in the United States with frequent co-occurrence of fusaric acid with deoxynivalenol, fusaric acid with 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, and fusaric acid with fumonisin B1, highlighting the importance of assessing multiple mycotoxins, including emerging mycotoxins and mycotoxin metabolites, when developing risk management programs.

Mycotoxins contaminate crops worldwide and play a deleterious role in animal health and performance. Multiple mycotoxins can co-occur, which may increase the negative impact on the animal. To assess the multiple mycotoxin profile of corn, Alltech conducted a seven-year survey of new crop corn grain and silage in the United States. A total of 711 grain and 1117 silage samples were collected between 2013 and 2019 and analyzed for the simultaneous presence of 35 mycotoxins using ultraperformance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry at the Alltech 37+ Analytical Laboratory.

The study showed that multiple mycotoxins were often present in both corn grain and corn silage in the U.S. In fact, 90.2% of grain and 96.5% of silage samples contained at least two types of mycotoxins. Fusaric acid was the most frequently detected mycotoxin in 78.1 and 93.8% of grains and silages, respectively, followed by deoxynivalenol in 75.7 and 88.2% of samples. The greatest co-occurrence was between fusaric acid and deoxynivalenol in 59.1% of grains and 82.7% of silages, followed by fusaric acid and fumonisin B1, deoxynivalenol with 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, and fusaric acid with 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol.

The research also discovered that some of the more frequent mycotoxins they found were ones that may not be routinely analyzed by many programs, such as fusaric acid and deoxynivalenol, underscoring the importance of testing for multiple mycotoxins when developing management programs.

Mycotoxin challenges have risen in recent years along with the incidence of extreme weather conditions, such as droughts, floods and heat waves. In the U.S., 100% of samples contained two or more mycotoxins, according to the 2022 Alltech Harvest Analysis. In Europe, 79% contained two or more mycotoxins.

“Being selected for this award shows the interest in and importance of testing for multiple mycotoxins,” said Dr. Alexandra Weaver. “When we better understand the full mycotoxin profile of a feedstuff or ration, more informed decisions on mycotoxin management can be made.”

The winning paper was published by Toxins in July 2021, and can be accessed here. For more information about the Alltech Mycotoxin Management program, visit knowmycotoxins.com.

Alltech is proudly continuing its commitment to supporting the Poultry Science Association (PSA) and student research with the 23rd anniversary of the Alltech Student Research Manuscript Award. This year’s award recipient was Dr. Milan Sharma of the University of Georgia. Dr. Kayla Price, Canadian technical manager for Alltech, presented the award to Dr. Sharma during the PSA’s annual meeting.

Alltech has sponsored this award since 2000, recognizing young leaders in scientific innovation for their commitment to publishing and sharing their work in the poultry sector.

It is given to a student who is the senior author of an outstanding research manuscript published in Poultry Science or the Journal of Applied Poultry Research.

“Innovation is the core of our business at Alltech, and we are proud to support students and the advancements they are making in the poultry industry,” Dr. Price said. “We want to encourage students to not only complete the research, but also to share, communicate and amplify messages about their research.”

Dr. Sharma’s winning paper, entitled “Effects of mixed Eimeria challenge on performance, body composition, intestinal health, and expression of nutrient transporter genes of Hy-Line W-36 pullets (0-6 weeks of age),” was published by Poultry Science in 2022.

Born and raised in Nepal, Dr. Sharma graduated from Tribhuvan University with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree in 2016. In 2020, he obtained a master’s degree in Poultry Science from Mississippi State University under the mentorship of Dr. Pratima Adhikari. His master’s research focused on the effect of different housing environments and laying hen strains on performance, eggshell and cloacal microbiology, and skeletal health of laying hens.

Dr. Sharma started his Ph.D. in 2020 as well, in the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Georgia, under the mentorship of Dr. Woo Kyun Kim. There, he focused on nutritional strategies for improving the gastrointestinal and skeletal health of laying hens.

During his Ph.D. studies, Dr. Sharma served as the university’s ambassador to the Poultry Science Association Hatchery for the academic years 2021–22 and 2022–23. He is looking forward to working in the egg industry, helping to improve laying hens’ performance, health and welfare.

For more information about the Poultry Science Association, visit poultryscience.org.

[CALGARY, Canada] – Calgary, Canada, was host today to the third stop of 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. ONE Calgary welcomed more than 300 attendees from across Canada to explore collaborative solutions to the greatest challenges facing the agri-food industry, especially as they relate to the Canadian marketplace. Changemakers and thought leaders throughout the ag value chain united at the event to explore opportunities for agriculture to innovate and take a leading role in nourishing both people and planet.

The Alltech ONE Conference has been held in Lexington, Kentucky, home of Alltech’s global headquarters, for the past 38 years. In 2023, the global leader in agriculture is bringing the conference to its partners, customers, suppliers and friends across the globe, 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 market,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO. “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 Calgary featured global and Canadian experts discussing agricultural trends, animal nutrition and business, including keynote presentations from Dr. Mark Lyons and renowned motivational speaker, Chris Koch, and a Sustainability Insights panel discussion. Moderated by Dr. Kayla Price, Canadian technical manager for Alltech, panelists included Tara McCarthy, global vice president of ESG at Alltech; Melissa Downing, director of regulatory and sustainability for the National Cattle Feeders Association; John Barlow, vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Parliament; and Al Mussell, research director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI).

“Our industry is navigating unprecedented disruption yet remains confident and committed to evolving toward a more sustainable food system,” said McCarthy. “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.”

Alltech recently launched a global value chain engagement study seeking industry input. Though the complete Alltech Sustainability Insights report will be released later this summer, the initial findings include:

•           There is a world of shifting and, depending on geography, quite divergent priorities. There is a very real series of crises facing the agri-food industry and, for the most part, an acknowledgement and realistic view of the gravity of those challenges. In the face of all that, there is a strong level of optimism and positivity with 85% of respondents agreeing that the food system can rise to the challenge.

•           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 unless the farmer is incentivized, things will never change.

•           There is recognition that we won’t 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 have to work together to create a better food system for the future.

Dr. Mark Lyons presented the 2023 Alltech Canada Planet of Plenty Award to Laurie Stanton, owner of Stanton Farms in Ilderton, Ontario. This award recognizes Canadian farmers, producers and ranchers across the country and their efforts of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty.

“Alltech Canada is proud to honor and thank the people and organizations that work hard every day to feed our country while implementing innovative and sustainable practices for the future of Canadian agriculture,” said Lyons.

The Alltech ONE World Tour will continue with stops in the U.S., Asia, South America and the Middle East. For more information and to register for an Alltech ONE World Tour stop, visit one.alltech.com.

-Ends-

Download photos from Alltech ONE Calgary: 2023 Alltech ONE World Tour - Calgary, Canada | Flickr