SOLUTIONS TO MEET THE NEED FOR FEED

The report examines the significant environmental impacts of animal feed, which accounts for 41% of livestock's global greenhouse gas emissions and 98% of its freshwater use. It proposes four key solutions: Responsible Sourcing to end land conversion, Regenerative Agriculture to improve soil health and carbon sequestration, Circular Ingredients to utilize food waste and by-products, and Feeding Innovations to improve efficiency and reduce enteric methane. The document emphasizes that these solutions require a strong enabling environment, including better data transparency, supportive public policy, and strong market signals across the fragmented feed value chain.

• Feed production is a primary driver of livestock impacts, representing 41% of global livestock greenhouse gas emissions (28% in the US and Canada) and 98% of livestock's freshwater use.
• In the United States, the irrigation of cattle-feed crops is the largest national consumer of freshwater, accounting for 23% of all water consumption, rising to 55% in the Colorado River basin.
• Regenerative Agriculture can reduce emissions through extended crop rotations; for example, a trial displacing corn with oats in cattle rations showed no significant difference in animal performance or carcass quality while reducing farmgate GHG emissions.
• Circular Ingredients can reduce the need for commodity crops and land conversion; by-products, co-products, and non-commodity ingredients already represent nearly 30% of global feed intake.
• In the US, approximately 13.3 million metric tons of food surplus ends up in landfills, contributing to nearly 20% of total US methane emissions from waste management, representing a significant opportunity for waste-to-feed pathways.
• Feeding Innovations, such as seaweed-based ingredients and herbal additives, have demonstrated the potential to reduce enteric methane emissions from cattle by 10% to 90%.
• A global meta-analysis indicates that while single mitigation strategies are insufficient, the simultaneous adoption of the most effective strategies can decrease ruminant emissions by an average of 12% while increasing animal production by 17%.
• The feed system faces significant risks from climate change, including extreme weather events and heat stress, which necessitates higher nutrient density and more digestible diets to maintain livestock productivity.

APA

WWF International (2023). SOLUTIONS TO MEET THE NEED FOR FEED. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/636/3f7fxakan2_Solutions_to_Meet_the_Need_for_Feed_Final_032223.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. SOLUTIONS TO MEET THE NEED FOR FEED. 2023. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/636/3f7fxakan2_Solutions_to_Meet_the_Need_for_Feed_Final_032223.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=SOLUTIONS TO MEET THE NEED FOR FEED |date=2023 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/636/3f7fxakan2_Solutions_to_Meet_the_Need_for_Feed_Final_032223.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2023solutions, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{SOLUTIONS TO MEET THE NEED FOR FEED}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2023}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/636/3f7fxakan2_Solutions_to_Meet_the_Need_for_Feed_Final_032223.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }