Gilles Houdart, Global MHS Business Director, Cargill Animal Nutrition:
“To help solving our customers’ challenges, we have developed the Micronutrition and Health Solutions (MHS) business within Cargill Animal Nutrition & Health (ANH). MHS is deeply rooted in nutritional science, research, innovation, and sustainability and combines the best talent, resources, and capabilities of Diamond V, Delacon, and Cargill Animal Nutrition (CAN) providing a world class portfolio of postbiotics, phytogenics, anti-mycotoxin agents, and enzymes to promote better animal lives and enhance customer livelihoods.”
Feed additives have played an important role in animal nutrition for several decades. Among other reasons, they can serve to improve feed efficiency, increase animal performance, and fully exploit its genetic potential. Recently, Cargill launched its newly created Micronutrition and Health Solutions (MHS) business going beyond traditional feed additives considering all microelements in animal diets impacting the microbiome providing an innovative, holistic approach to animal nutrition and health. We sat down with Gilles Houdart, Global MHS Business Director, to gain deeper insights into the MHS business and how it aims to improve animal lives and customer livelihoods.
Mr. Houdart, can you explain the idea behind Micronutrition and Health Solutions and the concept of the Microverse™?
Working closely with our customers, we know that today’s farmers, livestock, and aquaculture producers are challenged to improve animal productivity, health, nutrient utilization and to move towards zero nutrient waste. We recognize the need to reduce feed costs, help minimize antibiotic usage and reduce environmental emissions. At the same time, there is no one-size-fits-all solution that meets the wide range of customer specific needs.
To help solving our customers’ challenges, we have developed the Micronutrition and Health Solutions (MHS) business within Cargill Animal Nutrition & Health (ANH). MHS is deeply rooted in nutritional science, research, innovation, and sustainability and combines the best talent, resources, and capabilities of Diamond V, Delacon, and Cargill Animal Nutrition (CAN) providing a world class portfolio of postbiotics, phytogenics, anti-mycotoxin agents, and enzymes to promote better animal lives and enhance customer livelihoods.
Our idea with MHS is to apply a holistic approach to animal nutrition that goes beyond traditional feed additives combining not only advanced science-based products but also cutting-edge nutrition and health expertise and digital tools to address customers unmet needs and is based on our concept of the Microverse™. The Microverse™ is formed by the many microorganisms, molecules and micronutrients found in the complex ecosystem offered by nature that can interact in an animal diet to impact the microbiome. By discovering the power of the Microverse™ we uncover the countless secrets of natural matters and develop our science-based portfolio to provide nutrition at the deepest level to help animals thrive.
What key benefits does MHS offer to its customers? How can your business create added value to them?
Building on decades of innovating additives solutions for our customers, our science-based portfolio provides solutions for all needs, for all life stages of every species, including swine, poultry, ruminant, equine, aqua and pet, to help support production goals and solve business challenges. Leveraging our size, scale, and experience we provide customers with tailored products and solutions in a precise manner, delivering the right product at the right time with the right amount.
Through our advanced knowledge of the Microverse™, understanding how all microelements interacting can influence the microbiome, we offer customers who are looking to improve animal health and performance a broad portfolio and accelerate growing one of the world’s largest, most diverse, science-based micronutrition portfolios.
Leveraging Cargill’s global R&D capabilities we have a complete, unique research and development system in place, ranging from molecule discovery to practical animal application, and develop solutions both alone and in cooperation with partners to propel new product development through real-world research. Our trusted digital and data-driven solutions enable confident decision-making and gain predictability when our customers are navigating animal health challenges. We ensure the production of high-quality solutions and continue to invest in our state-of-the-art manufacturing sites. By harnessing the power of our global capabilities, our specialized local teams partner with customers to solve their specific business challenges.
Earlier you mentioned the importance of the microbiome playing a key role in your research. Can you share a concrete example how Cargill’s microbiome research helps customers improve animal health?
To pick just one example of how Cargill is helping producers understand the secrets of the microbiome, I would like to highlight Galleon™, one of Cargill’s latest innovations for broilers. This innovative non-invasive analysis tool has been used in more than 100 trials around the world analyzing nearly 30,000 samples, and helps customers to determine how the gut microbiome of their flock is related to their nutrition and health, and management practices. Using data collected over several years Galleon™ unlocks the complexities of the microbiome in a practical way to provide poultry producers deeper insights into the performance of their flocks. Galleon™ is a powerful tool for confident decision-making based on science as it delivers detailed statistical reports and recommendations to optimize animal health and performance, and thus represents a major innovation milestone for the poultry industry.
Digital tools and services are redefining livestock farming providing valuable insights for producers. What role does digital solutions play in your portfolio?
We take a holistic approach to animal nutrition, leveraging Cargill’s deep expertise and suite of digital tools to deliver trusted solutions that help farmers address animal health challenges. In some markets we offer for example the Cargill Nutrition System (CNS). It includes research, methodology and a database that combines Cargill knowledge surrounding what animals need to grow and be healthy, and the raw materials that feed those animals. Considering variables like species, climate, geography and targeted business goals, CNS enables precise feed formulations tailored to our customer’s unique operations. CNS has the largest global data set and innovative research at its core and delivers precise formulations and diets, constantly adapting to an ever-changing market.
Our flexible scenario planning tool Panorama™ is a solution to help broiler operations make confident decisions for the best economic results. It allows real time control and considers market volatility and production complexities, enabling more precise diets.
Another great example of digital offerings is Birdoo, a contactless daily broiler weight measurement solution from Cargill’s digital technology partner Knex that uses 3D cameras and artificial intelligence for better farm management and harvest planning.
MAXI NIR, as a further example, enables real-time formulation for precise feed production at feed mill ingredients line.
Nowadays livestock production is in the spotlight as one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable and at the same time economically viable livestock production will continue to be constant challenges for producers. How is MHS addressing today’s challenges contributing to sustainable food production?
Our customers face increased complexity as they balance animal health and welfare, performance, and business economics while reducing their environmental footprint. We partner closely with customers to provide advice and offer holistic solutions knowing that appropriate animal feeding is the key to ensure resilience, welfare and performance of the animal. Our MHS portfolio plays an essential role in addressing these priorities aiming to help enhance welfare, increase efficiency and nutrient utilization, promote circularity, reduce emissions and subsequently lowering environmental impacts. Our aim is to feed animals in a way that supports a growing population while contributing to a more sustainable, equitable and resilient food system.
For example, thinking about methane emissions from beef and dairy cows, which are a major environmental issue facing farmers, we are already proposing direct in-feed mitigation solutions as well as holistic approaches to reduce methane emissions intensities. Still, we keep on investigating new science-based solutions and practices to further reduce methane originated from the ruminant enteric fermentation.
What can the market expect in terms of new product innovations in the future?
To serve customers into the future we are further committed to innovation and investments in the portfolio and are driven to develop new scientifically proven technologies to connect the dots with our digital tools, products, and technical expertise. Based on deep microbiome research, digestive modeling, mode of action studies and phytogenic expertise, our world-class R&D capabilities boost product development and innovation. Thinking for example of synergies in mode of action between postbiotics and phytogenics, we see tremendous opportunities for innovative product development and have already elaborated a strong, very promising innovation pipeline.
We are committed to deliver a science-based portfolio, enabled by our world-class R&D, innovation, and manufacturing capabilities, that is globally proven through rigorous, systematic trials conducted and locally applied in markets by our trusted experts, with the purpose of being highly effective and targeted. Micronutrition and Health Solutions is how we support our customers on the path towards maximizing animal productivity, digestive health, and nutrient utilization.
