Organized by FAO in collaboration with IFIF, the 2025 Global Forum for Animal Feed and Feed Regulators and the 18th International Feed Regulators Meeting united the global feed industry to promote safe and sustainable feed and livestock systems.
The Global Forum for Animal Feed and Feed Regulators, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF), concluded with the successful 18th International Feed Regulators Meeting (IFRM). The forum was held from October 2-3, 2025.
The joint forum and IFRM brought together national and regional feed regulatory authorities, representatives of FAO Members, producer organizations, the scientific community, development organizations, private sector leaders, international financial institutions, donor agencies, civil society, technical media, and grassroots organizations. Participants exchanged experiences and explored how the feed sector can contribute to the sustainable transformation of the livestock sector, with a strong focus on innovation, safety, and collaboration.
OPENING AND HIGH-LEVEL PERSPECTIVES
The forum was officially opened by QU Dongyu, Director-General of FAO, alongside Constance Cullman, Chair of IFIF, and the Ministers of Nigeria and Uganda. Their interventions highlighted the pivotal role of the feed sector in delivering sustainable livestock transformation and global food security.
The first session provided a global outlook on feed production and trade, followed by national perspectives from Nigeria, Uganda, the USA, and Uruguay. FAO’s Assistant Director-General, Thanawat Tiensin, outlined the organization’s support to national programmes and policies. A high-level panel with representatives from the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), the European Federation of Animal Science, the International Finance Corporation, and IFIF discussed collaborative priorities for the future.
PUBLIC–PRIVATE COLLABORATION AT IFRM
The 18th International Feed Regulators Meeting (IFRM), held on the second day of the Forum, provided a unique platform for regulators and industry to engage in direct dialogue on standards, policies, and legislation. Presentations covered Codex work, ICCF progress, and country experiences from Namibia, Cambodia, and Brazil on applying feed-related Codex requirements into national legislation.
Delegates agreed that continued dialogue is essential to ensure feed and food safety, enhance innovation, and build global capacity.
Daniela Battaglia, Livestock Production Officer of FAO, emphasized, “The success of the Forum and the IFRM is a proof that FAO’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between the public and private sector are worthwhile and demonstrate the importance of public–private dialogue to address the responsibilities of the feed and livestock sectors to become sustainable agrifood systems. Working together across all levels is essential to improve human, animal, and environmental health. This meeting is a unique opportunity to exchange ideas among stakeholders from around the world and to coordinate our efforts towards common goals.”
Constance Cullman, IFIF Chair, highlighted the FAO–IFIF partnership: “The Global Feed Forum and the International Feed Regulators Meeting are remarkable examples of what can be achieved when regulators, scientists, industry, and international organizations come together. Over the past 20 years, our partnership with FAO has delivered tangible results – from voluntary guidelines on feed ingredient assessment through ICCF, to science-based work on nutritional innovation and global capacity-building projects on feed safety.
This year’s meeting once again mobilized the wisdom and experience of delegates from governments and industry across the world to address critical issues such as circular feed and novel ingredients. These discussions prove that collaboration is not just valuable but essential if we are to ensure safe, sustainable feed and food systems that meet the growing global demand.”
KEY TOPICS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Across the two days, delegates engaged in a wide range of scientific, regulatory, and policy discussions:
• Scaling up innovation for a sustainable feed future: Sessions showcased advances such as nutritional management during gestation, insect production, safe food waste valorization, and electronic labelling of feed ingredients. National and regional case studies from Canada, the EU, Kenya, and Thailand highlighted innovations in protein and feed sourcing.
• Codex Alimentarius and regulatory convergence: Updates from the Codex Secretariat and the International Cooperation for Convergence of Technical Requirements for the Assessment of Feed Ingredients (ICCF) underlined progress towards harmonized global feed standards.
• Supporting national feed policies and legislation: FAO and IFIF highlighted joint work on risk assessment and risk management, as well as the FAO-led RENOFARM initiative to reduce the need for antimicrobial use on farms.
• FAO Reference Centres for Animal Feed: World Café sessions developed proposals for new FAO Reference Centres focused on feed safety, quality and One Health, data and information sharing, and environmental sustainability.
• Circular feed and local resources: Delegates emphasized scaling up safe use of local feed resources, including pasture, forage, agro-industrial by-products, and novel proteins, to support resilient and sustainable livestock systems.
