INTERVIEW 52 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE December 2023 Pet parenting has been on the rise in recent years. Especially the Covid-19 pandemic was an important factor in this process. The isolation during the pandemic contributed to people giving more importance to the love and friendship of pets. Today, Europe is one of the regions where pet parenting is most common on a global scale. The pet food industry in Europe produces around 11 million tonnes of food every year to meet the demands of more than 90 million pet parents. This means around 33% of the world's total pet food production. Growth in the pet food industry of the region is expected to continue in the coming years. FEDIAF, the voice of the European pet food industry, represents 95% of the industry in the region and closely monitors and reports on industry developments. That's why we asked Alice Tempel Costa, FEDIAF Technical Director and Deputy Secretary General, about the European pet food industry, the industry’s current issues and future expectations. First of all, can we get some information about FEDIAF? Could you explain FEDIAF’s purposes, its members, and its role in the market of the pet food industry? What proportion of pet food manufacturers in Europe do your members represent? FEDIAF is the united voice of the European pet food industry. Our membership includes 15 European national pet food associations, together with five pet food manufacturers operating in Europe. This equates to around 95% of the industry. We represent the industry’s interests with the EU institutions, national authorities, academics, other associations and NGOs. FEDIAF also provides a platform to share, develop and promote best practice in the industry. We aim to ensure that safe, nutritious and palatable pet food is supplied across Europe. Can you tell us a little bit about the European pet food industry? How many pet food producers are “We expect the European pet food industry will continue to grow. Growth over the last year has mirrored the growth in the pet population from around 300 million to over 340 million. Annual sales of pet food products currently sit around 29.1 billion euros and this is growth of 5.1%.” EUROPEAN PET FOOD INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO GROW Alice Tempel Costa, Technical Director and Deputy Secretary General, FEDIAF
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