ARTICLE F&A Alternative Proteins Edition April 2023 37 “The carbon footprint associated with conventional animal feed production methods and the products available today are renowned for being high. The good news is that animal feed can be produced sustainably in terms of carbon footprint and ecological impact. Crucially, this enables sustainable food production without requiring a seismic population-level change to people’s current diets to achieve this.” SCALING GAS FERMENTATION TECHNOLOGY TO MARKET-SIZE ANIMAL FEED PROTEIN PRODUCTION Robert Mansfield Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Deep Branch Demand for animal protein and nutrition continues to proliferate. The requirement for high-protein ingredients such as fishmeal and soybean protein concentrate in global feed salmon, shrimp and poultry markets is predicted to reach nearly 60 million tonnes in 2035. Simultaneously, global challenges such as a rising global population, natural resource depletion and the climate crisis mean the need for more sustainable and efficient alternatives of feed production is higher than ever. Robert Mansfield, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Deep Branch, explores the development of new sustainable technologies that will replace traditional fossil fuel-intensive methods of producing animal feed. He also examines current industry adoption, interest and the challenges and opportunities these new technologies offer. THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY Human fish and meat consumption are increasing globally, despite the increased awareness of alternative diets such as veganism. Additionally, all regions of the world are expected to see high growth in food protein consumption, with Asia and South America leading the way. Therefore, the global demand for animal feed continues to grow. Animal feed production is an increasingly consolidated industry with a decreasing number of prominent players. Without effective incentivisation for change, the monopolistic tendencies associated with heavily consolidated commodity markets represent a potential barrier to the necessary adjustments the industry requires, including the introduction of alternative production methods and more sustainable ingredients. BREAKING AWAY FROM CONVENTIONS The carbon footprint associated with conventional animal feed production methods and the products available today are renowned for being high. For example, aquafeed typically contributes over 80% of the carbon intensity of farmed salmon before it is distributed to supermarkets for the public to purchase.
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