ISSUE FOCUS 48 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE January 2025 "The agricultural sector faces challenges and opportunities, particularly as climate change continues to impact water availability, farmers’ ability to grow crops, and livestock health. Balancing increased productivity with high animal welfare standards and environmental responsibility requires innovative solutions and ethical practices. Nutrition is a critical factor in this balance." As the UK and Europe expand their regulatory frameworks around animal production, farmers and producers face new challenges and opportunities. The EU's Farm to Fork Strategy, part of the European Green Deal, aims to make food systems fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly. It includes ambitious targets such as reducing the use of chemical pesticides by 50% and increasing organic farming to 25% of total farmland by 2030. Coupled with the 2022 ban on routine antibiotic use in livestock, these changes are driving a shift toward preventive healthcare and new farm management practices. In the UK, retailer pressure has led to a reduction in stocking densities for poultry to 30 kg per square meter, below the legal limit of 40 kg per square meter. This change is part of the Better Chicken Commitment, whose scope is across both the EU and UK, focusing on sustainability-related issues such as providing more space, requiring additional resources, and necessitating transport from more locations. In this dynamic landscape, it’s clear that innovative solutions are needed to enhance animal health and welfare. These solutions must meet evolving regulatory standards, ensuring animals are healthy, comfortable, and able to express natural behaviors. Animal nutrition plays a vital role in addressing this challenge. Proper nutrition not only supports health but can also help farmers enhance the welfare of animals. SUPPORTING DISEASE PREVENTION The World Organization for Animal Health defines animal welfare as the “the physical and mental state of an animal in relation to the conditions in which it lives and dies.” Animal welfare encompasses five key domains: Nutrition, ensuring animals have access to sufficient and balanced food and water; Environment, providing a comfortable living space; Health, maintaining good health and fitness; Behavior, allowing animals to express natural behaviors; and Mental State, promoting positive mental states while minimizing negative ones. Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining animal welfare, as it supports key bodily functions, growth, and immune responses. HARNESSING NUTRITION TO NAVIGATE REGULATORY SHIFTS IN ANIMAL HEALTH & WELFARE Alexandra Experton Sustainability Regional Leader Cargill Animal Nutrition and Health
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