ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, US — The Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) has added new materials to its Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit. The new resource defines 16 material issue areas identified as important for consideration in animal food industry sustainability efforts.

IFEEDER’s toolkit, launched in 2023, aims to provide business leaders within the animal feed and pet food industry with practical resources for developing their internal sustainability programs, responding to stakeholders’ requests and communicating their sustainability stories. 

“As the animal food industry continues to navigate the complex landscape of sustainability, the need for well-defined, actionable guidance has never been more important,” said Lara Moody, executive director, IFEEDER. “This new resource addresses that need by describing the scope of each issue in conjunction with real-world examples underway within the industry.”

In phase one of its Sustainability Road Map project, IFEEDER identified 16 key issues that are material to the animal food industry and its stakeholders. These issues span three main pillars: people, planet and governance. 

The new, comprehensive resource, which was launched July 22, offers detailed descriptions of each issue, insights into its potential value to the industry and illustrative examples from industry members that highlight the tangible benefits of addressing these issues. The materials developed through this project will be added to the toolkit and are also available for all animal food industry stakeholders on IFEEDER’s website.

The complete toolkit is available for free to American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) members and IFEEDER donors on IFEEDER’s website and available for purchase to nonmembers in AFIA’s online store.

The project was completed in collaboration with animal food industry members and students at Iowa State University, led by Kurt Rosentrater, PhD, professor in the Department of Agricultural Biosystems and Engineering, with generous support from Hill’s Pet Nutrition and Kent Nutrition Group, IFEEDER said.

To access these resources or learn about this project, visit ifeeder.org/materialissues. IFEEDER will continue to add industry examples to this resource as they are made available. Those interested in contributing to this project, or future sustainability-related topics, may contact IFEEDER at ifeeder.org/contact.