Join IFIF/FAO webinar on good practices for the feed sector

The FAO Sustainable Livestock Technical Network, the Animal Production and Health Division and the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) will hold a webinar on the newly launched manual Good Practices for the Feed Sector and why feed safety is a key element in the sustainable production of food of animal origin and a necessity for food safety and animal health and welfare.

Rapidly growing consumption of food of animal origin, especially in many emerging economies, has been associated with the increased use of animal feed and represents a daunting challenge in some production environments. The challenge has not only been to meet the growing demand for feed but also to ensure its safety. Feed safety is a key element in the sustainable production of food of animal origin. It is a prerequisite for food safety and human health, as well as a necessity for animal health and welfare, and it is a component of access to trade, income generation and economic sustainability. In fact, feed is an integral part of the food chain and its safety has been recognized as a shared value and a shared responsibility.

FAO is committed to assist countries to ensure feed safety and to comply with the relevant Codex Alimentarius requirements and together with IFIF have recently launched the manual of Good Practices for the Feed Sector. This publication aims to be a valuable tool to increase knowledge and improve feed safety at the production level, benefiting from the latest scientific and technical knowledge. In applying a One Health approach, it aims at contributing to ensure the production and availability of safe, nutritious and diversified food of animal origin for all, while respecting the environment and the welfare of the animals we care for. It especially addresses on-farm feed production at smaller and medium scales, to ensure that the expanding livestock sector can be of benefit for farmers more in need. The manual recognizes also some newer global concerns, such as the containment of antimicrobial resistance and shows the contribution of feed safety.