Ahead of this year’s Pig & Poultry Fair on 10 and 11 May, ABN technical experts Hugh Burton and Dr Ade Adebiyi, highlight how this will be a key theme for their forum session held on both days of the event.

Mr Burton, ABN’s Senior Raw Materials Manager, explains that the aim of the forum is to enlighten attendees how companies are continuing to drive innovation in supply, nutrition and performance within the pig and poultry industry. Most importantly, this needs to be in line with changing industry pressures so producers are armed with the knowledge to make informed decisions.

“Two years ago, at the Pig & Poultry Fair we asked the question, ‘How important is responsible sourcing and sustainability to your business?’ At the time in 2014, the vast majority felt it was not a high priority for them, but there was general acknowledgement that changes are maybe needed in the future.

“Over the past two years we’ve seen increasing pressures from external stakeholders and especially retailers, which has brought responsible sourcing to the attention of the whole industry.

“ABN has core business values based around sustainability and the environment, which is why it’s so important we make headway, and we’ve been instrumental in ensuring producers are able to continue to deliver responsible sourcing with minimal impact on global supply chains and cost,” he says.

Mr Burton explains, as part of the forum session, he will be exploring the work done by the European Feed Manufacturers' Federation (FEFAC), chaired by Angela Booth, AB Agri Director of Feed Safety, to implement soy responsible sourcing guidelines which defines the baseline level of compliance for imported responsible soy to the European market and are intended to deliver a mass market solution.

“The session will delve into what these guidelines mean for the industry as a whole, and to individual producers, and provide a platform for any questions that may arise,” he adds.

Dr Adebiyi, ABN’s nutritionist, will also be presenting on how alternative proteins have a key role to play in pig and poultry nutrition, and the drive for sustainable sourcing. “We’ve been talking about the role of alternative proteins in diets for a while now.

“We need to educate the industry on how this will work on a practical scale, and start taking this to the next level. Therefore, following on from Hugh, I will be looking at case studies of producers who are already using alternative proteins, such as wheat and maize distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), rapeseed meal, and even deriving more protein from potatoes.

“It’s important we highlight the performance opportunities for producers here, and how the industry could move away from relying on imported raw materials.

“Looking further to the future, insect protein is a hot topic when it comes to alternative protein, so we’ll update on new developments in that area.

“We will be looking at how ABN is continuing to research, and how the industry is working together to ensure the pig and poultry sectors can learn from applied research,” says Dr Adebiyi.

This is a great opportunity for producers to hear what research and innovation is underway to ensure the industry continues to stay one step ahead, in terms of responsible sourcing, raw material security and nutritional advancements. Don’t miss your chance to come and ask those burning questions at the forum which will be held at 12pm on 10 and 11 May.