SUSTAINABILITY 80 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE September 2024 “For the animal food industry, IFEEDER has determined that the following issues, categorized under the themes of people, planet and governance, are material in its sustainability journey: feed safety and food safety; human capital; human health and wellness; social good and helping communities; worker safety; energy use; greenhouse gases; land and marine resource use; waste; water quality; water usage; accountability; legal, regulatory and institutional compliance; stakeholders and shareholders; shareholder rights; and transparency.” The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) fosters trust in the sustainable feed and pet food supply chain through research and education. In 2021, IFEEDER launched the Sustainability Road Map Project to provide the industry with strategic guidance toward sustainability. With phase two of the project well underway, IFEEDER has added new materials to its Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit. SUSTAINABILITY ROADMAP INITIATIVE: PHASE TWO In 2021, IFEEDER partnered with the Context Network to officially launch a project to develop a sustainability road map for the animal food industry with the goal of supporting the advancement of both corporate sustainability programs and environmental footprint initiatives with key stakeholders across the U.S. animal food value chain. The first phase resulted in the development of a sustainability framework and strategic objectives, which guide IFEEDER’s support for industry sustainability efforts. A gap analysis revealed the barriers preventing companies from launching or measuring progress on sustainability programs and mapping the stakeholders impacted by industry initiatives. As a result, IFEEDER introduced the Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit during its initial work. The toolkit, initially launched in 2023, provides business leaders within the animal feed and pet food industry with practical resources for developing their internal sustainability programs, responding to stakeholders' requests and communicating their sustainability stories. Current Sustainability Road Map efforts are focused on ensuring industrywide consistency in data measurement, reporting and verification and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), which is critical for the industry and downstream stakeholders as they communicate their progress on sustainability commitments. In addition, IFEEDER has been exploring and highlighting the environmental benefits of inADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY IN THE ANIMAL FOOD INDUSTRY Lara Moody Executive Director IFEEDER
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