The Production Compliance Committee of the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) is hosting its annual Feed Education Program Wednesday, Feb. 13, from 8 a.m. to noon, which is free to everyone and does not require pre-registration.
The American Feed Industry Association has released its 2019 schedule of conferences and online courses.
The upcoming 6th edition of the Global Feed & Food Congress is expected to attract over 350 high-level delegates to examine the ‘Future of Feed & Food’ in Bangkok on March 11-13, 2019. The GFFC will bring outstanding speakers from global intergovernmental institutions, renowned universities, national authorities and international Civil Society organizations, as well as CEO’s from leading global animal nutrition and food companies together to discuss the future of feed & food at sessions covering the Digital Revolution in Agriculture, Sustainability, Feed & Food Safety, Nutritional Innovation, Global Regulations & Policy and Markets & Trade.
A workshop training program using the International Aquaculture Feed Formulation Database (IAFFD) will be expanded to global regions beyond Southeast Asia in 2019. The IAFFD, a joint venture of academia and commercial interests made possible with seed funding from USAID and USSEC, is the first standardized, publicly available tool for feed formulators in the global aquaculture industry. Now in Stage IV of development, the IAFFD currently includes 29 farmed species and over 460 ingredients, including all commodity basic ingredients such as soy, corn and wheat. The formulations coming out of the workshops now are commercially viable. “As we move away from fishmeal and fish oil to more complex formulations, we want the industry to consider a nutrient basis rather than ingredient basis for feeds."
IFFO’s Annual Conference came to a close with calls to action following three days of fascinating discussions. In his closing remarks, IFFO’s new Director General Petter Martin Johannessen stated that the dominant message that remained consistent throughout the event was the industry’s need to improve how it communicates and engages with its stakeholders. “We have listened, are listening, and going forward IFFO will focus on three core areas. First, engaging our stakeholders from across the value chain, positioning marine ingredients as having the true value they have. Second, proactively communicating that true value and their unique and important role in global food production, while analyzing new areas that are ready for innovation. And third, evidence based approach means that we will stick to the facts and be transparent in our activities. We have a good story to tell and it’s our responsibility as both IFFO and the wider industry to tell it."
IFFO’s 58th Annual Conference is taking place this week in Rome. The three-day event kicked off with a panel discussion with industry leaders on the future of marine ingredients and the key challenges facing the industry. "If we ask the tough questions and engage our stakeholders, we can ensure the future of this vital industry. Marine ingredients are a reliable, stable and vital food source with potential growth through by-products. Let us be proud of what we do and the industry that we have."
A one week Practical Short Course on Feeds & Pet Food Extrusion will take place Feb. 3-8, 2019 at Texas A&M University. The program will cover topics including designing new feed mills; recycling by-products and secondary resources; spraying and coating fats, digests and preservatives; use of encapsulated ingredients and preparation of premixes, and more.