ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, U.S. — Three American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) member companies recently made generous donations to the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), AFIA said on Dec. 11. The funds, collectively totaling $225,000, will help IFEEDER support critical research and education projects focused on meeting the challenges of sustainable feed and food production.

Elanco, a veterinary pharmaceutical company spanning across the globe to 75 countries, became IFEEDER's 2nd Corporate Chairman's Club donor via a $125,000 donation to IFEEDER. Rob Auckerman, Elanco's president of U.S. and Canada operations, said the company found IFEEDER as a worthwhile cause as it is in line with Elanco's philanthropic goals.
 
"As an innovation driven company, Elanco applauds IFEEDER's commitment to education and research that addresses the challenges our customers and food industry partners face in feeding a growing population," said Auckerman.
 
Micronutrients reached the Corporate Gold Level donor status this year with a donation to IFEEDER. Zinpro Corporation also recently reached the IFEEDER Corporate Gold Level. Both companies generously donated $50,000 during two separate ceremonies.
 
Micronutrients, a global trace mineral feed ingredient producer based in Indianapolis, Ind., is one of the 70 companies under The Heritage Group--a family-owned organization with a strong business culture surrounding research and innovation.
 
"For 20 years we have maintained a strong commitment to product innovation, quality and animal research," said Jeff Cohen, Micronutrients vice-president of marketing and sales. "Our recent work has focused on mineral interactions with the microbiome, an area of interest we share with many other contributors to IFEEDER."

Cohen said Micronutrients believes its participation with the nonprofit "can have an even greater benefit to the industry than our proprietary research projects can achieve on their own."

Zinpro Corporation, the feed industry leader in the manufacturing, research and marketing of Performance Minerals headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, U.S., sees its donation to IFEEDER as a benefit toward a sustainable future.
 
"As a science-based company, Zinpro Corporation has invested heavily throughout our 43-year history in developing research-proven products and delivering industry-leading educational tools to help improve animal performance. With this $50,000 Gold Sponsorship, we're committed to helping the feed industry develop research-based solutions and educational efforts to help feed the world," said Joseph Carrica, Zinpro executive vice-president, global sales and marketing.