THE FUTURE OF FEED: - HOW LOW OPPORTUNITY COST LIVESTOCK FEED COULD SUPPORT A

Feed represents 75% of the global warming impact of poultry globally, 60% for pork, and 33% for dairy production.8 Grains for livestock use up to a third of the annual global cereal GRAINS FOR LIVESTOCK USE harvest, taking up land that could have been producing food directly for human consumption.9 However, it is also the case that across the world, as well as cereal UP TO A THIRD OF THE ANNUAL gr. [...] The following sections look at the key parameters and caveats around the low opportunity cost 2.1 ‘HIGH OPPORTUNITY COST’ FEED USES LAND THAT idea; the current feed system underpinning livestock production in the UK; how much of current feed is composed of low opportunity cost inputs; and the potential COULD HAVE FED HUMANS DIRECTLY INSTEAD implications of maximising low opportunity cost feed for. [...] Major meat supplying countries to the UK are Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands for pork; Ireland Figure 5  for beef; and the Netherlands and Thailand for poultry and poultry products.42 UK UTILISED AGRICULTURAL LAND A proportion of UK production is also exported, including up to a third of sheep and pig meat, and just under 20% of cattle and poultry.43 The impact of Brexit USE SHOWING AREA OF C. [...] Consumption (Mt) 44 THE FUTURE OF FEED: FEEDING THE UK’S LIVESTOCK WITHIN PLANETARY BOUNDARIES CHAPTER 3 WHAT DO THE UK’S LIVESTOCK EAT? 45 3.4 FOOD SURPLUS AND WASTE - THE MISSING LOC FEED? THE LAW PROHIBITS THE USE OF MOST The above data indicate that around a quarter of the UK’s non-grass animal feed FOOD WASTE IN ANIMAL FEED inputs are low opportunity cost, consisting primarily of by-products. [...] volume and security of supply of these materials, the likely nutritional profile of THE IMPETUS SHOULD BE TO the materials, and the risk of contamination.