The production and the use of feed additives influence the environmental impact of livestock production. The use of feed additives significantly acts on feed efficiency, and thus animal and environmental performance. The methodology developed in these guidelines aims to introduce a harmonized international approach to the assessment of the environmental performance of feed additives in livestock supply chains taking into consideration the impact of their production and use all along the supply chain for large ruminants, pigs and poultry. The objective of this technical document is twofold: on the one hand, to provide detailed guidance on how to measure the environmental performance of the production of feed additives, and on the other hand, how to measure the effects of feed additives on the environmental performance of livestock products. The guidelines on the environmental performance of feed additives in livestock supply chains are intended to be used with other published LEAP guidelines.

The evaluation of the project “Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership” covered the three phases of the LEAP Partnership (2012–2021). The evaluation found that the project responded to an existing demand to advance towards a science-based benchmarking of the environmental performance of the livestock sector. The LEAP partnership was a cost-effective approach that contributed to consensus building and greater understanding of the factors influencing environmental performance by providing a neutral forum for discussion and negotiation. The evaluation provides six recommendations: i) strengthen the project’s theory of change to reflect the complexity of learning and innovation, including gender perspective; ii) strengthen the multi-stakeholder partnership governance, management and procedures; iii) strengthen collaboration with other initiatives such as the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL) and the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM); iv) reduce the budget uncertainty through improved long-term planning and a strengthened resource mobilization strategy; v) update and improve the dissemination strategy; and vi) develop an outreach strategy with clear goals.

This book offers a comprehensive collection of cutting-edge research on feed additives for a sustainable animal production, including insects and aquaculture. In five clearly structured sections, the sources of feed additives, details on their biochemistry, feed security as well as specific applications for individual farm animal species, livestock health and product characteristics (meat, milk and eggs) find attention. International expert authors provide a full description on the use of aromatic plants, extracts and essential oils as feed additives alone or in combination with functional feeds of different categories. Readers will explore the potential of feed additives to tackle environmental issues. Practical examples include the use of local feedstuffs in combination with herbal additives and enzymes. Emphasis is placed on the consequences of using local feed sources versus imported feedstuffs on global warming potential, primary energy use, nutrient excretion and the feed additive influence on lessening the pollution from animal operations. The results presented will support realization of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 12 which stands for Responsible Consumption and Production worldwide. The use of novel and different feed additives can be an important tool to enhance sustainability, support productivity, and match increased food demands around the globe. Animal production depends on feed efficiency to sustain growth and profitability. Along these lines, the present volume is an essential reading for all future-oriented veterinarians, animal nutritionists, agricultural scientists, and moreover the feed, food and plant industry.

Livestock food systems need to be rapidly rethought to tackle the global climate crisis. This book examines how climate concerns for the livestock sector are governed in international law and addresses the sector's inclusion (or lack thereof) across the international governance of climate change, agriculture, forests and trade. The book provides a wide-ranging analysis of legal regimes at the international level that affect emissions from cattle (and where relevant, livestock more broadly). On this basis, tensions, interactions, and common themes for livestock emissions mitigation across the international climate change, forestry, agricultural and agri-trade regime are identified. This showcases where productive synergies and damaging tensions have emerged across the cross-cutting nature of livestock governance, enabling goals of fairer and more effective emissions mitigation for the sector to be achieved. In addition to addressing issues such as food security and public health, the book highlights the problem of affluence in reducing cattle emissions from meat consumption. This key insight is significant in terms of tackling future livestock emissions trajectories, particularly in relation to securing climate justice within the agricultural sector and securing equitable and effective livestock solutions. The book is a key text for all those with an interest in the legal governance of climate change and agriculture, adding to the timely debate on the future sustainability of the global diet and the relationship between affluence and climate change.

This catalogue aims to improve the dissemination and outreach of FAO’s knowledge products and overall publishing programme. By providing information on its key publications in every area of FAO’s work, and catering to a range of audiences, it thereby contributes to all organizational outcomes. From statistical analysis to specialized manuals to children’s books, FAO publications cater to a diverse range of audiences. This catalogue presents a selection of FAO’s main publications, produced in 2021 or earlier, ranging from its global reports and general interest publications to numerous specialized titles. In addition to the major themes of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, it also includes thematic sections on climate change, economic and social development, and food safety and nutrition.

This is a living document produced by the Livestock Environmental and Assessment Performance (LEAP) Partnership. The document presents a methodology and provides guidance for the assessment of the environmental performance of pig supply chains. It provides users guidance on how to apply the life cycle assessment approach to pig supply chains. Demand for livestock products is projected to grow 1.3 percent per year until 2050, driven by global population growth and increasing wealth and urbanization. This projected growth places significant pressure on the livestock sector to perform in a more sustainable way. Currently, many different methods are used to assess the environmental impacts and performance of livestock products. This causes confusion and makes it difficult to compare results and set priorities for continuing improvement. The intention of this document is to provide an overview assessment of existing studies and associated methods that have used life cycle assessment for the evaluation of pig supply chains.

Eggs are one of the most popular foods worldwide due to their great taste and versatility, economical value and high nutritional content. The egg plays an important role in the human diet, both for the nutritional value of its many components (e.g., proteins, vitamins, minerals, choline, specific long chain fatty acids) as well for its wide range of functional characteristics, including foaming, gelling and emulsifying properties. The egg sector is a vibrant field with many new developments in terms of production, processing and commercialization as well as research. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the global production of eggs has grown by 69.5%, farm production systems have evolved to improve the welfare of laying hens, many eggshell and egg products have been developed to address the changing demands of consumers and our knowledge of the composition of the egg has been boosted by the latest gene-based technologies. Information on the science and technology of egg and egg processing is essential to governments, academia and industry. The Handbook of Egg Science and Technology aims to be the first book providing a complete source of information about egg science and technology, covering topics such as world egg production, marketing of eggs, chemistry of egg components, functional properties of egg components, egg processing, egg product development, eggshell quality, grading, egg microbiology, egg pasteurization, egg nutrition and bioactive components, egg biotechnology and sustainability of egg production. Features Includes the most current and comprehensive scientific and technical information about egg science and technology Presents an ideal guide for professionals in related food industries, egg business consultants, regulatory agencies and research groups Answers the need for a comprehensive textbook for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in food science, animal science and poultry departments A global panel of experts in the field of egg science was gathered with the aim to provide the most updated information and development on many topics likely to interest readers ranging from academia and food science students to managers working in the food production and egg processing sectors. This handbook is an excellent resource for the food and poultry industry, R&D sectors, as well as experts in the field of food and nutrition.

The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on biodiversity, hereafter called Biodiversity TAG, is composed of 25 international experts in ecology, biodiversity indicators, agronomy, life cycle assessment, livestock production systems, and environmental science. Their backgrounds, complementary between systems and regions, allowed them to understand and address different perspectives. The aim of the methodology developed in these guidelines is to introduce a harmonized international approach for assessing the impacts of livestock on biodiversity. The livestock sector is a major user of natural resources (land in particular) and an important contributor to pollution (e.g. causing nutrient losses, increasing greenhouse gas emissions), which makes it one of the sectors with the highest impact on biodiversity. At the same time, livestock production is one of the few sectors with not only negative but also positive impacts on biodiversity; therefore, the sector can pull two levers to improve its biodiversity performance – mitigate harm and maximize benefits. Many environmental assessments of the livestock sector have not addressed biodiversity because of its intrinsic complexity. These guidelines strive to include biodiversity in environmental assessments, in order to increase the understanding of the impacts of livestock on biodiversity and to reveal possible synergies or trade-offs with other environmental criteria or Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Several indicators in these guidelines are also of relevance for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

This FAO report presents a comprehensive global assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock systems, utilizing FAO’s Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) based on the most recent available data. GLEAM also considers indirect emissions from upstream activities, such as feed and other inputs, and part of the downstream processes including post-farm transport, processing and packaging of raw products. Drawing from an extensive literature review, this publication illustrates pathways towards lower emissions through a set of interventions on both the supply and the demand sides of animal production.

Satisfying the changing food habits and increased demand for food intensifies pressure on the world’s water, land and soil resources. However, agriculture bears great promise to alleviate these pressures and provide multiple opportunities to contribute to global goals. Sustainable agricultural practices lead to water saving, soil conservation, sustainable land management, conservation of natural resources, ecosystem and climate change benefits. Accomplishing this requires accurate information and a major change in how we manage these resources. It also requires complementing efforts from outside the natural resources management domain to maximize synergies and manage trade-offs. The objective of SOLAW 2021 is to build awareness of the status of land and water resources, highlighting the risks, and informing on related opportunities and challenges, also underlining the essential contribution of appropriate policies, institutions and investments. Recent assessments, projections and scenarios from the international community show the continued and increasing depletion of land and water resources, loss of biodiversity, associated degradation and pollution, and scarcity in the primary natural resources. SOLAW 2021 highlights the major risks and trends related to land and water and presents means of resolving competition among users and generating multiple benefits for people and the environment. The DPSIR framework was followed in order to identify the Drivers, Pressures, Status, Impact and Responses. SOLAW 2021 provides an update of the knowledge base and presents a suite of responses and actions to inform decision-makers in the public, private, and civil sectors for a transformation from degradation and vulnerability toward sustainability and resilience.