Call for pro-active strategy of EU feed industry

The new European feed compounders’ president stressed the need to strengthen the competitiveness of EU livestock production on sustainable agriculture and the CAP Reform beyond 2013.

 

He highlighted that the European livestock and feed sector need to produce more, and better with less.

 

Patrick Vanden Avenne stated that resource efficiency was the key driver of our industry.

 

“We will pursue the development of precompetitive R&D projects leading to the adoption of new feed technology and feed formulation strategies seeking to further improve feed efficiency.

 

“This has been the key motivation for our General Assembly to approve a new mission statement on FEFAC’s role regarding R&D and innovation,” he said.

 

Fefac is fully committed to contribute to the key objective of the EU 2020 agenda on resource efficiency and a greener economy.

 

It actively supports European and global sustainable development platforms such as the Round Table for Responsible Soy (RTRS) and the EU Food Round Table on Sustainable Consumption and Production, SCP.

 

This also comprises both the development of and support to EU and FAO research projects aiming at reducing the environmental impacts of feed and livestock production.

 

Vanden Avenne welcomed the Fefac Council adoption of the European transitional import standard for responsible soy based on four core criteria of the RTRS standard as a milestone to foster mainstream market solutions for the production of sustainable soy.

 

On marketing and use of feed, Vanden Avenne underlined Fefac’s call for the early adoption of the EU feed materials catalogue comprising 400 new product entries at EU level.

 

The catalogue was developed by 39 European feed sector organisations and is the cornerstone of the new co-regulation approach laid down in the new EU Regulation on marketing and use of feed.

 

“It is a ‘living’ milestone document improving the market transparency for farmers and feed business operators,” he said.

 

Vanden Avenne committed himself to pursue an open dialogue with all stakeholders of the food and feed chain to ensure the competitiveness of the EU livestock economy while providing solutions to customer needs regarding compound feed production and production of animal products.