By Simon Duke, Managing Editor - EMEA
There are fewer livestock farms in Western Europe than before.
Issues such as animal welfare, biosecurity, and health regulations are placing further pressure on animal production in the region. Farms closures are a daily matter. In turn, this has ramifications on the demand for feed.
However, in a European premix and feed market where a clear trend towards market consolidation can be seen, specialty feed additives businesses believe they have an even more important role to play. Expana was able to interview several animal nutrition industry executives on the subject at last week’s EuroTier in Hannover, Germany.
“In Western Europe, there is increased demand for practical knowledge and interest in making successful feed formulas. Feed has to be increasingly connected with the needs of the animal,” argued Rob van Schie, Sales Team Leader at Koudijs Animal Nutrition.
“We know that the Dutch animal production market is shrinking but animals still need to be fed, so this doesn’t mean our activity in premix will decrease. There is still a gap in precision feeding and knowledge about premixes to fill. We remain confident,” van Schie said.
The executives interviewed all highlighted that farms have become more technically demanding, and there is push for even more feeding efficiency solutions.
“In response to the challenges, there is an increasing need for more complex solutions that address specific needs for functional nutrition. This includes tailored premixes and feed additives that enhance animal health, improve feed efficiency, and support sustainable production practices,” Eduardo Alberto, CEO, Trouw Nutrition, commented.
Jean-Marc Pinsault, Managing Director of Techna, believes that there are opportunities to step up and help customers produce more with less, even optimizing the environmental impact of their products. “This is where we have influence. This allows for more competitiveness and more sustainability,” he said.
“There is a drive in Europe towards more efficiency and more sustainability,” Pinsault added.
“We have to reduce production costs via efficient formulations and remain close to our customers,” also said Massoud Aoun, Manging Director at IDENA.
According to Dr. Dirk Hoehler, head of the Essential Nutrition product line at Evonik, work still needs to be done. “The animal production industry still needs to be more efficient and improve the quality of its overall processes,” he said.
Indeed, the ongoing pressure to enhance sustainability in animal production is one of the sector’s biggest long-term challenges. This will drive farms to increase the use of more innovative and efficient solutions to help reduce environmental impact, improve animal welfare standards, and meet biosecurity and health regulations.
“Animal well-being standards and sustainable practices that can be measured and thus transparent are increasingly seen to be part of our customers’ priorities,” said Dr. Sven K. Weber, Vice President of Feed Enzymes and Feed Performance Ingredients at BASF Animal Nutrition.
“We see a rise in technological advancements, AI used in developing nutritional solutions, or a rising importance of feed enzyme solutions,” Weber added.
Ivo Lansbergen, President Animal Nutrition & Health at dsm-firmenich, argues that the emphasis needs to be on feed efficiency, FCR, and farming sustainability. “We see good demand for gut health products, and awareness of the industry has grown regarding the adoption of micro-enzymes,” he commented.
Pinsault, however, remains cautious about these early stages of AI adoption in specialty feed formulations. “AI is still an unknown. We will have new players coming. Will we be able to afford to invest in this? Will we be able to add value for our customers using AI?” he asked, adding that the digital revolution is expensive, and that data collection and software development do not come cheap.
Emilie Fontaine, Brand and Product Vice President for Jefo also acknowledged the significant barrier posed by the high cost of implementation of AI solutions, particularly for farmers. Despite this, “over time, this trend will become undeniable (unignorable),” she predicted.
Some would also argue that the quest to bring sustainable solutions to livestock farms has somewhat of a spanner in the works when it comes to getting them cleared for use and past the regulatory hurdles in the EU.
“The regulatory environment, especially in the EU becomes tighter every year to ensure safe and healthy food for consumers and foster sustainable production,” explained Volker Seidl, Managing Director for EMEA Regions at Novus International.
“Critics like to highlight the burden this brings to the industry, but we like to consider this rather as an opportunity,” he said.
“Regulations are essential for ensuring the safety and quality of animal products, but they also require producers to adopt more stringent practices and invest in compliance measures,” Alberto added.
Nevertheless, getting sustainable solutions to market in the EU takes time and requires significant investment.
As Nicholas Guthier, head of EMEA Region & Global Key Accounts at Evonik Animal Nutrition, pointed out: “The challenge is with the competitiveness of Europe as a production hub. What can the EU do to create itself a level playing field?” he asked.
For Jan Vanbrabant, CEO of EW Nutrition, sustainability and economic viability go hand-in-hand. It’s not one or the other. “We should talk more about that,” he remarked.
With farms being increasingly open to technological advancements and solutions, the notion of enhanced sustainability at the forefront, and with it being something the industry and its future participants can aspire to, Vanbrabant and others remain confident.
Speaking of the Dutch market – always a trendsetter for the rest of Western Europe, he said: “We notice a gradual comeback of respect for farmers. Young people are interested in studying agriculture again.”
“Long-term prospects are favorable,” he argued. “I don’t understand why businesses want to get out of animal feeding!”
