Background

The production and the use of feed additives influences the environmental footprint of livestock production. The use of feed additives significantly acts on feed efficiency, and thus animal and environmental performance. The technical document Environmental performance of feed additives in livestock supply chains – Guidelines for assessment cover the following environmental impact categories: climate change, fossil energy use, acidification, and eutrophication.

About the guidelines

In July 2019 the LEAP Partnership launched the public review of Environmental performance of feed additives in livestock supply chains. Guidelines for quantitative assessment. This document provide comprehensive guidance for the assessment of the environmental impacts associated with the production and usage of feed additives.

These guidelines aim to provide detailed guidance on how to measure the environmental performance of the production of feed additives and the effects of feed additives on the environmental performance of livestock products.

The main purpose of the document is to provide a sufficient definition of calculation methods and data requirements on quality and transparency to enable consistent application of life cycle assessment (LCA) across differing livestock supply chains.

The guideline allows for comparison of scenarios with and without specific feed additives and combinations thereof, supporting the evaluation of their effect in the given situation. This guideline further supports the applicant in communicating the final aggregated results of the LCA.

To find out how to participate in the review process, click here.

Livestock species and production system

These guidelines can be applied to various livestock production systems including large and small ruminants, poultry and pig production systems.

Intended users

These guidelines are relevant to a wide range of livestock stakeholders including:

• livestock producers, advisors, or extension agents who wish to develop inventories of on-farm resources and assess the performance of their production systems with or without specific feed additives or combinations thereof;
• supply chain partners, such as feed additive manufacturers, feed producers and farmers, seeking for both a better understanding of the environmental performance of products and an increased eco-efficiency of their production processes;
• policy makers interested in NDCs in the context of the Paris Agreement and in developing accounting and reporting specifications for livestock supply chains;
• researchers, policy makers and individuals interested in understanding the potential of feed additives or relevant technologies under development to cope with climate change and food security, and interested to the environmental implications associated to usage of feed additives.

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