ARTICLE F&A Alternative Proteins Edition October 2023 39 SETTING TARGETS & STRATEGIES Major feed players including; Skretting, Biomar and Grobest have published and widely circulated sustainability strategies, many of which highlight alternative proteins as one of the keys to reducing emissions, often identifying insects, single-cell and algal protein sources as alternatives to traditional protein sources. However, ingredients marketed as ‘sustainable’ are not given a free pass. Rigorous vetting of sustainability claims are being carried out by Skretting & MARS Petcare (amongst others), ensuring that any sustainability value propositions are backed-up by LifeCycle Assessments (LCAs) carried out by legitimate 3rd parties, and which follow strict methodologies. Moreover, ambitious carbon reduction targets are also now in play, not only at the feed producer level, but also amongst the major distributors. AB Agri/ Livalta are active members of the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) and helped to build the Global Feed Database, which can be used to evaluate the environmental impact of feed produced around the world. Valerie Schuster, Managing Director of Livalta says "We are using this database to assess and formulate our products, as a step towards net zero in our own operations as well as a net zero industry. We are actively engaging with producers of more sustainable feed ingredients. We've seen the demand in the sector increase recently, and expect to continue growing our portfolio of sustainable products in the coming years". Where major distributors have emissions reduction targets, the availability of low-carbon and environmentally sustainable products will become more available to feed producers, accelerating the flywheel of progress even further. AVAILABILITY & ADOPTION Options are now becoming available, and being adopted. Not at the scale or speed that the industry is asking for, but single cell, algae-based, and insect-based meal & oil products are now available on the market in commercial quantities. Located all around the world, these ingredient manufacturers take advantage of local conditions to optimise productivity, where warm temperatures and bright sunshine often facilitates faster, more efficient growth, reducing the need for expensive heating or lighting solutions that might be required for production in more temperate regions. Similar to traditional feed production, the main driver across almost all impact categories in the production of insect meal is from the on-site processes (machinery operations, industrial steam, vehicle fuel, etc), followed by the raw materials being fed to the insect larvae. Interestingly, downstream shipping of insect meal & oil to destinations around the world only adds a small fraction to the total climate impact, and as logistics companies execute their own footprint reduction strategies, this is likely to fall even further. DEEP DIVE ON INSECTS Looking specifically at the production of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) - an insect endemic throughout the tropics - you can compare the energy requirements of a tropical system vs a European or North American one. As a tropical insect, in order for the insects to breed, lay eggs and grow efficiently, they need warm humid air and bright sunshine yearround. While this is the ambient climate in Southeast Asia and much of Africa, BSF production outside of the tropics requires significant energy inputs (up to 33% of total energy consumption) to recreate these conditions, by installing energy intensive heating & lighting systems.
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