Future farming: protein production for livestock feed in the EU

Abstract

Climate change can have a negative impact on agricultural production and food security. Vice versa, agricultural practices themselves contribute to climate change because of land, water, and energy use and anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gasses and waste. The European Green Deal focusses on “transition to a sustainable food system that has a neutral or positive environmental impact, helps mitigate climate change and adapt to its impact, and reverses the loss of biodiversity”. Local production of feed proteins in the European Union may result in new agro-ecosystem services that can be integrated to maximize sustainability of agricultural practices. Feed crops with nutritional properties that are both beneficial to functional biodiversity, biocontrol, pollination, and other ecosystem services can be incorporated into livestock diets. However, implementation is hampered by lack of information, embedded habits of specialization, profit maximization priorities, a lack of awareness about the environmental impacts of existing production systems, and a lack of flow of resources and services between the sectors. When economic benefits from investments are not immediately evident, transition can only be successful with government policies that focus on providing knowledge and education, and financial support. To convince agriculturists and agricultural workers to adopt sustainable practices, policy changes are needed with close cooperation between, and support from, all actors involved, including producers, non-governmental and civil society organisations, and the retail industry.