The cost of grain-based livestock feeds that are tied to the global market is volatile at the best of times and ever more so now. Feeds derived from the manufacture of human food and drinks are buffered from market instability, so are less prone to extreme rises and falls in price. This means they not only have nutritional value, but they also have considerable financial worth.

Crops grown specifically for traditional livestock feed use up land and carry first-hand responsibility for the carbon they produce. Co-product feeds bear a low carbon burden as the primary human product accounts for most of it. By repurposing what could otherwise go to landfill, waste is avoided and the carbon footprint of meat and milk is minimised.

Plant-based nutritious co-products from the human food and drink industries include brewer’s grains, potato cream and high-energy syrups. They are highly palatable and can be blended to meet specific nutritional requirements. Co-product rations allow farmers to achieve their performance goals as effectively as, if not better than, carbon-heavy traditional alternatives. Some co-products can even be used to increase enteric methane inhibitor performance.

As they result from the manufacture of human food and beverages, co-products meet the highest levels of hygiene, safety and traceability.

No farming business can get to net zero without addressing feed carbon. The carbon burden of feed varies across meat and dairy systems but it will always be weighty while livestock eat rations made from specifically grown crops. Co-products support a circular food system where nothing goes to waste. They have an instantly beneficial impact on the sustainability of any farming operation.