The Protein PACT for the People, Animals & Climate of Tomorrow unites partners including the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) across the animal agriculture supply chain in the largest-ever effort to strengthen animal protein’s contributions to the people, animals and climate of tomorrow. Following the Protein PACT’s launch in July 2021, the North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) and our partners have been hard at work to set measurable baselines, verify progress toward ambitious achievements and communicate transparently about how nutrient-dense animal-sourced foods contribute to sustainable food security solutions.

Today, the American Feed Industry Association’s Leah Wilkinson participated in a virtual public meeting on the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine's (CVM) role in the Association of American Feed Control Officials’ (AAFCO) feed ingredient definition process. This issue is of importance to the animal food industry as the AFIA strongly believes that AAFCO and CVM should continue to work together to ascertain the safety of our animal food products.

IFIF, or “If-If” as it is called outside the United States, is not just something you say when you are “iffy” about something. The American Feed Industry Association is not at all iffy about IFIF and its mission. The International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) provides a unified voice and leadership for the global animal feed industry. Additionally, IFIF represents the global feed community in multilateral forums such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Trade Organization (WTO), World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Codex Alimentarius (Codex).  

If you or your customers export animal-based feed or pet food, you know how heavily the industry relies on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). In many cases, you can’t export a feed or pet food without some form of APHIS health certificate or approval. In recent years, getting the documentation needed to export has been more than a headache due to ongoing agency staffing and funding issues, the pandemic and the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) crisis.

When I joined Arm & Hammer Animal and Food Production five years ago, I had no agricultural background and was hired for my microbiology and regulatory experience. I remember one of my first days on the job, learning that farmers use manure to fertilize their crops, feed those crops back to the cows, and then the cows complete the circle. I thought WOW, what a concept! I still look back at those days and laugh, but also remind myself how much I have learned.

Last week, the American Feed Industry Association and Feedstuffs named Kent Nutrition Group’s feed manufacturing facility of Marshall, Mo., as its 2022 Commercial Dry Feed Facility of the Year.

This past week, there have been an uptick in social media videos and news stories perpetuating false claims about commercial chicken feed and its impact on the availability and price of eggs. To better understand how diet relates to a hen’s egg output, I spoke with our resident animal nutritionist, Paul Davis, Ph.D. Davis has a doctorate in animal nutrition and the added benefit of being able to tap into fellow nutrition experts’ knowledge on the American Feed Industry Association Nutrition Committee. Below is a summary of this conversation, responding to some of these claims.

From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, one cannot help but marvel at evidence of a rich and varied culture influenced by war, colonialism and communism. Overlaying all of this is intense growth fueled by a national commitment to economic liberalization and the desire to fully integrate into the world economy.