[DUBLIN, Ireland] – In recognition of their commitment to excellence in whiskey production and sustainability efforts alike, Pearse Lyons Distillery has retained Origin Green Gold Membership status for the second consecutive year. Gold Membership is the highest and most prestigious standard in the Bord Bia Origin Green programme. Pearse Lyons Distillery’s consistent improvement in the use of recycled and recyclable materials in product packaging, increased efficiencies in how raw materials are utilized, sustained waste reduction and community engagement were the basis for achieving this highly coveted status.

“It is an honour for us to have retained our prestigious Origin Green Gold Membership status for the second consecutive year,” said Conor Ryan, head of production operations at Pearse Lyons Distillery. “Our involvement in this very important national programme at such a high level shows our core commitment to sustainability and the well-being of our planet. The team at Pearse Lyons Distillery has worked diligently to maintain exemplary standards across our process efficiencies in order to meet and exceed our Origin Green sustainability charter targets.”

Origin Green is Ireland’s pioneering food and drink sustainability programme, uniting the government, private sector and complete supply chain, from farmers to food producers, foodservice and retail. As the world’s only national food and drink sustainability programme, Origin Green enables the industry to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets that respect the environment and serve local communities more effectively.

“We are delighted to recognise Pearse Lyons Distillery with the Bord Bia Origin Green Gold Membership status again this year for their continued exemplary sustainability performance,” said Deirdre Ryan, director of sustainability and quality assurance at Bord Bia. “They have employed excellent sustainability practices, such as yearly increased use of recycled and recyclable materials in their bottles and packaging, increased return from the grain used for distilling, annual reductions in waste produced and increasing engagement with the communities around the distillery.”

“I am honored to carry forward not only the legacy of my father Pearse but generations of my family who dedicated their lives to this craft,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “It’s an extraordinary privilege to be part of Ireland’s brewing and distilling heritage, and we recognize that opportunity carries great responsibility. Our team at Pearse Lyons Distillery is united by a passion for positive impact that extends from excellence in our beverage offerings to sustainability-focused innovation in our ingredient sourcing, distilling processes, bottling and waste reduction. We are honored to have a home in one of Dublin’s most historic districts and are committed to contributing to our community.”

For more information, visit www.pearselyonsdistillery.com.

Alltech has committed to completing life cycle analyses (LCAs) of our core nutritional technologies across all its manufacturing sites globally.

Alltech has completed seven product LCAs and plans to complete 40 assessments by the end of 2023.

LCAs quantify the environmental impacts associated with a product. The assessments consider all inputs including ingredients, energy, transport, packaging and all pollutants generated in the production of a product, from cradle to factory gate.

Alltech follows the LCA framework standard ISO 14067 in addition to guidance documents from the Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP). We also work with the Carbon Trust to ensure services provided through Alltech E-CO₂ are independently verified to be in line with the product carbon footprint standards PAS:2050 and ISO 140067.

“Completing such assessments allows us to generate more accurate metrics on the environmental impact of our business activities,” said Dr. Stephen Ross, senior sustainability specialist, Alltech E-CO₂. “Life cycle analysis requires us to look at energy consumption at the production level, revealing opportunities for process efficiency improvements, which will reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.”

Rather than utilize an assumed value for cradle-to-grave analysis of products, Alltech utilizes cradle-to-factory-gate analysis, as through Alltech E-CO₂, to conduct on-farm livestock carbon footprints that take into account the use phase of Alltech technologies.

In addition to product LCAs, Alltech has completed carbon footprint assessments for each of our production plants. We will update these carbon footprint scores annually. Alltech also has begun installing monitoring equipment to capture energy consumption data on individual product lines.

Alltech E-CO₂ measures and helps reduce agriculture’s environmental impact

The E-CO₂ Project was established in 2009 to provide the agriculture industry with a tool to measure and manage environmental impact at the farm level. In the first few years of business, it pioneered the use of environmental tools and assessments to provide opportunities to benchmark and improve on-farm efficiency, thereby leading to increased profitability and sustainability.

The E-CO₂ Project joined the Alltech family of companies in February 2015 and became Alltech E-CO₂, with a goal of expanding to more locations and offering additional services. Today, Alltech E-CO₂ serves a wide range of customers, from individual farms to multinational organizations in multiple countries.

Alltech E-CO₂ has conducted more than 20,000 on-farm and remote assessments globally and has developed assessment models for crops and all major livestock species.

Certified environmental assessments provide a wealth of in-depth data on animal production, health, feed, fertilizer, nitrogen balance, water, energy and resource use. The data collected is used to deliver practical on-farm and online programs, as well as benchmark reporting, with clear and concise consultancy advice to lower the producer’s carbon emissions.

Helping feed manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint

Alltech E-CO₂ launched the Feeds EA™ (environmental assessment) model to help feed manufacturers and producers globally measure and lower the carbon footprint of their feed. Feeds EA measures the environmental impact of feed production at the feed mill level by assessing the impact of existing compounds or blends. This is determined by calculating greenhouse gas emissions from production, cultivation, processing, energy utilization and transportation in the manufacturing of the feed. Feeds EA can calculate emissions from a database of more than 300 ingredients, including raw materials, soya products, byproducts and additives.

“Optimizing the sustainability of feed production provides a huge opportunity for the whole supply chain,” said Ben Braou, business general manager for Alltech E-CO₂. “By utilizing Feeds EA, feed manufacturers are provided with the means to further enhance their product range and sustainability credentials through supplying feed with a lower environmental impact.”

Demonstrating our sustainability commitments

The 2022 Alltech Sustainability Report shares our sustainability journey through the lens of the three main objectives of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™:

• Replenishing the planet’s natural resources
• Providing nutrition for all
• Revitalizing local economies

Download and read the report at alltech.com/sustainability.

The following blog is a summary of an Ag Future podcast episode with Dr. Vaughn Holder, hosted by Tom Martin. Click below to hear the full audio, or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

The research behind food security suggests that only a handful of nations are protein-insecure. But is the data overlooking the importance of protein quality? Dr. Vaughn Holder, ruminant research director at Alltech, joined the Ag Future podcast in 2022 to discuss the role digestibility plays in getting an accurate gauge of global protein security and the positive impact that cattle have on the health of people and the planet.

Rethinking protein security: a paradigm shift

Dr. Holder kicked off the conversation by challenging the conventional approach to evaluating food security. The existing framework primarily focuses on the quantity of protein consumption in different nations, overlooking the crucial factor of protein digestibility.

Not all proteins are created equal. Animal-derived proteins tend to be complete proteins with high digestibility, closely aligned with the human body’s needs. In contrast, plant proteins often have lower digestibility, making them less efficient sources of nutrition.

Dr. Holder referenced the groundbreaking work of Paul Moughan, a researcher from a university in New Zealand, who highlighted the necessity of adjusting protein intake based on the body’s ability to absorb and utilize it effectively. By factoring in protein quality and digestibility, the scope of protein insecurity expands significantly, potentially affecting a much larger portion of the global population.

Impacts on human health and development

Protein malnutrition has far-reaching implications for human health, particularly in terms of its effects on brain development in infants and on overall physical development. Dr. Holder cited research suggesting that addressing protein insufficiency could potentially elevate the global population’s average IQ by ten points. This underscores the profound impact of protein quality on societal progress and well-being.

Plant-based alternatives and food production

In discussing the rise of plant-based meats and milks as alternatives to conventional animal products, Dr. Holder acknowledged the value of these products in terms of taste and consumer preferences. However, he raises a critical point: While plant-based options can be part of a nutritious diet, they should not replace actual protein production. The distinction lies in the fact that plant-based alternatives are essentially processed foods.

Ruminants as nature’s recyclers

Annually, about 40 metric tons of byproducts are being fed into the dairy industry. Dr. Holder described ruminants as natural recycling centers, converting both food waste and nutrient-rich plant byproducts that humans can’t use into valuable protein sources.

What’s more, cattle are reducing the greenhouse-gas footprint of those byproducts.

“If there aren’t cattle utilizing those byproducts, those byproducts end up in compost heaps or landfills,” Dr. Holder explained. “As byproducts entering compost heaps, they will end up generating five times the amount of greenhouse gases that they would if they went through a cow, and they’d generate 49 times as many greenhouse gases if they went into a landfill than if they went into a cow.”

The path forward: an ecosystem-centric approach

Dr. Holder concluded with an exciting glimpse into the future of ruminant research. He introduces a paradigm shift in viewing protein production, emphasizing the importance of ecosystems as units of production. This holistic approach considers not only the role of cattle in protein production but also the broader impact on carbon capture and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.

World hunger is on the rise, and many places in our world face deepening food crises. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we place nutritional quality at the heart of agriculture practices so we can provide nutrition, not just food, for all.

About 735 million people are currently facing hunger, an increase of 122 million people since 2019, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published by five United Nations specialized agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Food and nutrition security looked grim in 2022:

• About 2.4 billion people did not have access to constant food (nearly 30% of the global population), and around 900 million of these individuals faced severe food insecurity.
• More than 3.1 billion people, 42% of the global population, were unable to afford a healthy diet. That’s an overall increase of 134 million people compared to 2019.
• Millions of children under age 5 continue to suffer from malnutrition. In 2022, 148 million children under age 5 (22.2%) were stunted, 45 million (6.8%) were wasted, and 37 million (5.6%) were overweight.

Progress in hunger reduction was observed in Asia and Latin America, but hunger was still on the rise in Western Asia, in the Caribbean, and throughout all subregions of Africa. One in five people in Africa are facing hunger, more than twice the global average.

The report attributed the rise in hunger to the COVID-19 pandemic, repeated severe weather events, and geopolitical conflicts, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Difficulties will persist as we battle climate change and the extreme weather events it causes.

With the current level of hunger, achieving the 2030 nutrition targets outlined in the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals will be a daunting challenge, the report said. By 2030, it is projected that almost 600 million people will still be facing hunger.

“The major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition are our ‘new normal,’ and we have no option but to redouble our efforts to transform agri-food systems and leverage them towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goal 2 targets,” said the heads of the five U.N. agencies in the report's foreword.

Nourishing the World

To feed the world’s population, 70% more food will be required by the year 2060. But just feeding the world is not enough. We must provide nutrients.

Poor nutrition is the single greatest threat to the world’s health, according to the World Health Organization. Currently, one in four people on our planet is malnourished — over 2 billion people worldwide — and one in 10 people is undernourished.

The health consequences of poor nutrition are numerous and severe. In addition to reduced life expectancy, poor nutrition can cause complications in pregnancy and childbirth, higher risks of infectious diseases, reduced cognitive function, poor mental health, and more.

“To truly achieve nutrition for all, we will rely on both plants and animals,” said Nikki Putnam Badding, director of human nutrition initiatives at Alltech and managing director of Acutia, during her keynote address at Alltech ONE Dublin. “Animals provide us with essential nutrients that plants do not and vice versa. Nutrition security requires all food sources.”

A sustainable diet provides sufficient energy and essential nutrients to maintain the good health of the population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their nutritional needs.

To deliver nutrition for all, we need more nutrient-dense food — quality meat, milk, eggs and seafood that are high in protein and crops that are grown in healthy soil. We must focus on essential nutrition, and we must deliver both quantity and quality. This can be accomplished by improving the health of animals and the soil, maximizing the value of feedstuffs, increasing the efficiency of the farm, and reinvesting in innovation.

Alltech has been helping producers meet these goals for more than 40 years. Our technologies help animals optimize the nutrients in their feed, thereby supporting the health and performance of livestock while also reducing their environmental impact.

Through collaboration and innovation, the agri-food community can create a world where science-based solutions help ensure sustainable food production for the global population.

“Agriculture has the greatest potential to be the world’s hero,” said Putnam Badding.

Alltech believes agriculture has the greatest potential to positively shape the future of our planet.

That's why we're uniting the agri-food community in Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™. A planet where science-based solutions help ensure sustainable food production for the global population. A planet where agriculture’s story is central to the development of thriving communities and ecosystems. A planet where, through collaboration and innovation, we can create a world of abundance for future generations. 

Together, we can provide nutrition for all, revitalize local economies and replenish the planet’s natural resources.

A Planet of Plenty™ transcends environmental sustainability. It is a vision of a more positive future, full of promise and possibility. Join us in creating a future of sustainable nutrition and farming. Learn more at alltech.com/planet-of-plenty.

Alltech is inspired by the immense challenge the world has presented us: to produce enough nutritious food for all people while also caring for our animals and sustaining our land, air and water for future generations.

The agri-food community is uniquely prepared to shoulder this responsibility. Amid the challenges of today’s world, agriculture has the greatest potential to positively shape the future of our planet.

With the advent of new agricultural technologies, the adoption of improved sustainable farming practices and, above all, the ingenuity inherent in the human spirit, a world of abundance can be ours. But it cannot be achieved alone.

That’s why Alltech is uniting the agri-food community in Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™. A planet where science-based solutions help ensure sustainable food production for the global population. A planet where agriculture’s story is central to the development of thriving communities and ecosystems. A planet where, through collaboration and innovation, we can create a world of abundance for future generations.

Together, we can provide nutrition for all, revitalize local economies and replenish the planet’s natural resources.

Creating a future of sustainable nutrition and farming will require us to maintain a sharp focus on the three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental and social. As ambassadors of our Planet of Plenty™ message, we want to be transparent about our sustainability goals and the progress we are making on our journey. By striving to improve the health of animals, plants and soil, maximize the value of feedstuffs, increase the efficiency of the farm and reinvest in innovation, we are sharing our purpose and highlighting the sustainable power of science in agri-food.

A Planet of Plenty™ transcends environmental sustainability. It is a vision of a more positive future, full of promise and possibility. We must take actions that help sustain agriculture, revitalize rural communities and enable family businesses to thrive. We want to replenish the planet’s natural resources so farmers can continue to nourish the growing population.

Guided by this purpose, Alltech is:

• Developing nutritional and digital technologies, improved farm management practices, and innovations in animal well-being and human health
• Partnering with like-minded companies and individuals to solve high-impact issues
• Investing in education and talent development for the next generation of agri-food leadership
• Sharing the sustainable power of science in agri-food through stories and videos on our Planet of Plenty™ website and through our social media channels

Our Planet of Plenty™ purpose addresses humanity’s most basic requirements, as well as our aspirations for a better future.

We want to:

• Support agriculture to nourish a growing population
• Improve safety and quality within the food chain
• Add value and nutrition to fruits and vegetables, meat, milk, seafood and eggs
• Meet the demands of consumers to produce their food and beverages in a way that ensures the welfare of the animal and the environment

A commitment to the planet is in our DNA

Creating a Planet of Plenty™ is at the heart of who we’ve always been. Alltech founder Dr. Pearse Lyons wanted to ensure that the company would have an impact on our industry and our planet far into the future. In 1989, he committed Alltech to our guiding ACE principle, which required all our endeavors to seek the safety and well-being of animals, consumers and the environment. He fervently believed that the well-being of each element of the ACE principle depended on maintaining harmony between all three.

Thirty years later, against a backdrop of diminishing natural resources, a changing climate and a growing population, Alltech President and CEO Dr. Mark Lyons propelled the ACE principle into the future — and into a new world of possibility — with our newly defined purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™.

Demonstrating our sustainability commitments

The 2022 Alltech Sustainability Report shares our sustainability journey through the lens of the three main objectives of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™:

• Replenishing the planet’s natural resources
• Providing nutrition for all
• Revitalizing local economies

Download and read the report at alltech.com/sustainability.

Producers do not have to compromise performance and profitability for sustainability

Canadian agriculture leaders are facing pressure and uncertainty on all sides. Amid devastating wildfires, there’s a turbulent global economy, the impact of geopolitical tensions and mounting climate change pressure.

More than 300 representatives of the Canadian agriculture industry joined Alltech last week in Calgary, Alberta, to explore collaborative solutions to these significant challenges. Alltech ONE Calgary, the third stop of the Alltech ONE World Tour, examined strategies for remaining resilient despite uncertainty and focused on the importance of partnerships, innovation and taking a leading role in nourishing people and preserving the planet.

Canada is rapidly growing, and so is its demand for food. With fewer farmers, the country is producing more food on less land: Only 7% of Canada’s land is used for agriculture, a 37% decline over the past 60 years.

And yet, the country’s agri-food system is resilient, innovative and a major contributor to the Canadian economy. In 2022, the agri-food system employed 2.3 million people, provided one in nine jobs in Canada, and generated $143.8 billion (around 7.0%) of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“Canada will remain one of the world’s most important exporters, even as it faces the dual challenges of climate change and population and urban sprawl,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, Alltech president and CEO, who delivered the keynote address at Alltech ONE Calgary. “We’re going to have to meet demand now with less land, less labor and fewer resources. But we always know that in the face of challenges, we should never be afraid. We must push forward and think about things in a different way.”

A fresh approach — and a positive mindset — are vital to turning challenges into opportunities. Poised at the interface of nourishing the present and preserving the future, agriculture has the greatest potential to positively shape the future of the planet, he said.

“There is no other industry that plays such a fundamental role in terms of not only producing food, but also preserving our planet. That’s why we launched our vision and purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™,” Dr. Lyons said.

Working together, the agri-food community can provide nutrition for all, revitalize local economies and replenish the planet’s natural resources. We can create a healthy, sustainable food system, and we can do so in a way that is also economically sustainable — and profitable — for our agricultural producers.

Innovative, on-farm solutions can be both sustainable and profitable, said Dr. Patrick Ward.

‘You don’t have to compromise’

Governments and megabrands worldwide are making ambitious sustainability commitments, but they don’t really know how to achieve them, Dr. Lyons said.

“They need you. They need farmers and producers, and they need ranchers to actually achieve those goals,” he told attendees. “And they're really struggling to be able to connect the dots because they don't really know what their supply chain is made up of.”

Farmers, ranchers and producers need solutions that enhance the efficiency of their business and enable them to maintain sustainable margins. Innovative, on-farm solutions can be both sustainable and profitable, said Dr. Patrick Ward, Alltech applications manager for Europe and Asia-Pacific.

“You don’t have to compromise performance and profitability for sustainability,” he told ONE attendees.

Nutritional technologies can improve animal performance — and therefore profitability — while also offering sustainability benefits. Alltech’s nutritional solutions, for example, have been proven to improve production efficiency, reduce carbon footprint and help rid animal diets of toxins that can harm both the animal and the environment.

Alltech continues to invest in solutions that empower farmers and ranchers to reach their sustainability goals while supporting animal performance and profitability. Earlier this year, Alltech acquired Agolin, a company that has developed and produced plant-based nutritional solutions that improve herd performance, profitability and sustainability.

Dr. Ward explained Agolin’s research-backed sustainability benefits, including its effects on performance and methane reduction, and how the synergistic use of Alltech and Agolin technologies can improve animal welfare, increase feed efficiency and conversion, boost milk and meat production, reduce environmental footprint and increase profitability.

Sustainability can start with the cow.

“With Alltech’s natural products, you can meet your sustainability goals through reduced enteric methane emissions while, at the same time, driving performance and improving milk yield, fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) and feed conversion efficiency,” he said.

Providing quality nutrition for all

Agriculture has gone from having the most important job in the world to having the two most important jobs in the world: feeding the world and reversing climate change.

“We have a moral imperative not to compromise nutrition — for the human or the animal — even as we seek environmental restoration,” said Dr. Vaughn Holder, ruminant research director at Alltech, who joined the conference virtually to discuss agriculture’s role in saving the planet.

We must meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future.

The world’s population is projected to reach 10 billion by 2060. Seventy percent more food will be required by then, Dr. Holder said, but this is not our true challenge.

“One in 10 people on our planet are undernourished. World hunger is on the rise, affecting 811 million people in 2023,” he said. “One in four people are malnourished — that’s over 2 billion people worldwide.”

Poor nutrition is the single greatest threat to the world’s health, according to the World Health Organization.

“It is not enough to feed the world. We must provide nutrients,” Dr. Holder said.

To create a world of abundance for future generations, we must do more than feed the growing population. We need to nourish it with quality meat, milk, eggs and seafood that are high in protein and crops that are grown in healthy soil, all while working to revitalize local economies and replenish the planet’s natural resources.

A sustainable diet is one that provides sufficient energy and essential nutrients to maintain the good health of the population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their nutritional needs. It must be accessible​, available, safe, nutrient-dense, culturally acceptable, fairly produced and sparing of natural resources.

This can be accomplished by improving the health of animals and the soil, maximizing the value of feedstuffs, increasing the efficiency of the farm, and reinvesting in innovation. Alltech has been striving to meet these goals for more than 40 years, and our technologies help animals optimize the nutrients in their feed, thereby supporting the health and performance of livestock while also reducing their environmental impact.

Through collaboration and innovation, the agri-food community can create a world where science-based solutions help ensure sustainable food production for the global population. We must dig deeper to find the real solutions, leveraging the science and ​implementing the technologies ​that exist today, Dr. Lyons said.

“This is a time that calls for much more of all of us. We must believe in our purpose and have the confidence to stand strong,” he said. “We have a huge responsibility, but it is also a tremendous opportunity.”

Why are we bringing ONE to the world?

The Alltech ONE World Tour was inspired by the desire to connect with our customers, partners and friends in their markets. As our industry navigates significant challenges, we are determined to be with you every step of the way, highlighting opportunities and delivering global expertise on locally relevant issues.

We’re bringing Alltech ONE World Tour to the world so we can hear your stories, better understand your needs and find opportunities to collaborate. This means more people than ever will have the opportunity to engage with leading experts on global, regional and local market trends in agriculture, business, health and nutrition.

Learn more about our future Alltech ONE World Tour stops at one.alltech.com. 

You can find highlights from Alltech ONE Calgary, including photos, speaker biographies and more at one.alltech.com/calgary

Gain insights into the crucial role of transparency, compliance, and sustainability in the food supply chain — as Ruud Overbeek, senior vice president for corporate development and strategic relationships at FoodChain ID, shares strategies for fostering sustainable growth in the Ag Future podcast.

The following blog is a summary of the Ag Future podcast episode with Ruud Overbeek hosted by Tom Martin. Click below to hear the full audio or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

Tom Martin:           I’m Tom Martin. And joining us from Houston, Texas, is Dr. Ruud Overbeek, senior vice president of corporate development and strategic relationships at FoodChain ID.

                               Dr. Overbeek is responsible for FoodChain ID’s strategic growth through mergers and acquisitions as well as maintaining the foundational relationships with FoodChain ID’s key customers and partners.

                               Welcome to AgFuture, Dr. Overbeek.

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: Thank you and good morning.

Tom Martin:           First, would you tell us a little bit about FoodChain ID?

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: Our mission statement at FoodChain ID is that we make it easier for companies to make their products in the food chain transparent, compliant and safe.

                               Transparency obviously means many things, and that includes topics like sustainability, but also what is in it and how it actually gets to the consumer ultimately in a safe and transparent manner.

Tom Martin:           So, am I right that basically you help a company move its product or the manufacturing process through the regulatory structure?

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: That’s just one of the many things. We actually help companies from many different things — really, I would almost say, from the farm to the fork. That’s probably the best description that you can have.

Tom Martin:           Okay.

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: Or from the seeds to the supper.

                               Along the supply chain, we help companies to make their products safe, compliant and transparent, so that they can bring it to the next tier in the supply chain, ensuring that they can actually then market their respective products.

                               And we support multiple activities. For example, we support product developments, we support food safety. Regulatory compliance is just one of those, but also product certifications and testing.

Tom Martin:           I see. Okay.

                               The theme of Alltech’s ONE Dublin event covers current challenges for the agricultural industry, and those include the need to address climate change.

                               How is FoodChain ID offering your food and feed customers ways to respond to the need to measure CO₂ emissions?

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: Actually, that’s in the foundation of our company. We have been involved with many aspects of sustainability from the beginning of the company. We were the inventor of the first PCR-based test to identify the difference between GMO and non-GMO crops. So it is in the foundation of our company, and it’s something that we have done since 1996, from the start.

                               We actually are involved in many different initiatives to ensure the sustainable production and sustainable growth of everything that is in the food supply chain, from farm to fork, as I’ve said before.

Tom Martin:           We all see the promises that companies are making on CO₂ reduction in their supply chains. We also see the brand damage that occurs when practices fail to live up to those promises.

                               What’s your perspective on how the industry can document progress and not overpromise?

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: That’s very interesting. I mean, you see already the first challenges of brands and companies that actually have made promises on the way of improving the sustainable footprint.

                               What we as a company do is, we help independently as a third party or as a second party to verify that the claims that are made are in effect correct, meet the requirements, meet the standards.

                               So we actually support companies. We go into the fields, support the verification — whether it’s on-farm or within the company — of any of the claims that they want to make to further their interests.

Tom Martin:           Sustainability is of course important to farmers in their role as stewards of their land. How can a farmer who is already practicing certain sustainable practices benefit from working with a company like FoodChain ID?

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: As a company, we officially work from the farm to fork, I’ve said that before. But a lot of companies — I would say sustainability has three aspects.

The first one is people, making sure that there are proper social aspects of sustainability, that the farmer has a way to make money.

                               The second one is planet, which is what we’re all about. I have kids, and that is why I am so interested in sustainability. I want to make sure that my kids actually have a sustainable future themselves and their kids will have a sustainable future.

                               And then, finally, there is the P for profit. Good business will make good practice. And what we can do is, if a farmer has a sustainable practice already but they’re not benefiting from that, we can help them to find a way to benefit from that. For example, making claims in the products that increase the value of their products, or ensuring that the claims that they can make will carry forward in the supply chain, so that, for example, a retailer can make a claim that they’re working with a sustainable farmer, so that they can obtain more money from the products, so that ultimately the farmer gets more benefits from it.

                               At the end, you know, a sustainable future involves all parties in the supply chain, and it involves, ultimately, that we do the right thing.

Tom Martin:           How is FoodChain ID working to keep the feed and food supply chain safe and transparent?

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: We are working already with a lot of industry private partnership, where we are involved as an independent verifier, and I can give you a couple of examples.

                               We work, for example, with the ProTerra Foundation, which is a not-for-profit organization that advances and promotes sustainability at all levels of the feed and food production system. They are committed to food transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain. And they are concerned for corporate and social responsibility and potential detrimental impact on ecosystems and biodiversity.

                               We are in that initiative, we are the independent third-party certifier, which is obviously central to the ProTerra Foundation’s mission that helps to bring together stakeholders from all parts of the supply chain.

ProTerra certification ensures that high-quality supplies of crops, food and feed that are independently certified as non-GMO and produced with improved sustainability are available in the market. That’s just one example.

                               We’re also active in other activities. For example, we’re currently working on ESG initiatives within the Brazilian soy industry, where there’s a multi-stakeholder consortium created to develop a program assessing compliance to the EU regulations on deforestation-free supply chains.

And there, the benefit for the farmers is making sure that there is a carbon credit system, that there is a proper carbon measurement technology and traceability, and that we can provide the assessments, combined with other sustainability standards like the ProTerra Foundation, for example, or the non-GMO product verification that the farmers and all of the stakeholders in that multi-stakeholder involvement can benefit.

Tom Martin:           We know that FoodChain ID is a big advocate of partnerships. I wonder if you could give us some examples of how your partnerships have advanced sustainable food production.

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: Yeah. So, the two ones that I already mentioned, the ProTerra Foundation is in food and feed, obviously, and then, soy is used in all kinds of products in the food and feed supply chain.

                               The one that is probably the most prevalent in our company is because we were at the technological birth of the ability to verify non-GMO versus GMO crops, which is actually the Non-GMO Project. And we partnered from the beginning with the Non-GMO Project, which is — you’re in the U.S., so you understand the butterfly is the representation of the Non-GMO Project on the foods that we buy.

                               As we said, we actually invented the testing methodology to identify between GMO and non-GMO products. And the Non-GMO Project, which we have collaborated with from the beginning, is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization offering product education and trustworthy education empowering people to take care of themselves, the planet and future generations.

                               And the intent there was that everyone has the right to know what is in their food and the surest access to non-GMO choices. We have been involved from the beginning in partnering with them in helping them to set the standards, and we continue to do so, ensuring that the consumers have access to these non-GMO choices.

                               And we verify many products that are in the market for Non-GMO Project verification. And that leads to the seal, the butterfly seal, that people see on their brands or on any food that they eat.

Tom Martin:           I’m wondering about the lessons that emerged from these arrangements. In other words, what have you learned about successful partnerships that might help Alltech and our clients?

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: What we’ve learned is that ultimately it has to be multi-stakeholder interest. At the end, it has to make sense for the farmer to do the right thing to improve their way of existence, you know, the profitability on the farm, the making sure that they make the right products that are the right choices for the planet. That is something that all of the stakeholders have to keep in mind. It has to make sense for everyone, and it has to make sense for the planet.

                               And so what is important is that it is not just an initiative, but the results or verification of what is going on is actually meeting the intents of the initiatives. For example, in the case of Alltech, the Planet of Plenty™ is a clear initiative, it is a great initiative, but what is very important is that independent verification ensures that every stakeholder is doing what is right and in accordance with the requirements that have been set by all.

                               That actually provides security, certainty for all of the stakeholders involved, but also ultimately for the consumer that consumes the final products.

Tom Martin:           What key current trends in food supply and logistics are you keeping an eye on right now?

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: For us, one of the things that is more important is actually the topic of transparency. Consumers really care more about what they eat, whether it’s healthy for them, whether it makes sense for the planet, so whether it’s the right choice to be made in addition to price. But consumers are willing to pay for things that make sense, you know.

That means that in the supply chain, there has to be more and more transparency. So: more verification, information, data, etc., that exchange between the different actors in the supply chain.

And we continue to transform the industry with products that make it more efficient to connect and use external and internal data. And these data-driven solutions, which will help our customers manage their portfolio of products throughout the life cycles to ensure that they remain compliant, transparent and safe.

Tom Martin:           All right. That’s Dr. Ruud Overbeek, senior vice president of corporate development and strategic relationships at FoodChain ID.

                               Thank you so much.

Dr. Ruud Overbeek: Thank you very much.

Tom Martin:           And for AgFuture, I’m Tom Martin.

The agri-food community has the great privilege of nourishing our people, our animals and our land.

It is a significant responsibility — and yet, not a new one.

Society was built on the ingenuity of our planet’s original stewards of the land — farmers, ranchers and growers. Their innovation and grit nourished a growing world and paved the way for advancements in science and technology.

Today, climate change threatens agriculture’s ability to feed the world’s growing population. Fortunately, the world’s best problem solvers are on the case.

We believe agriculture has the greatest potential to positively shape the future of our planet. That’s why Alltech is uniting the agri-food community in Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™. It’s not just our mission. It’s our purpose.

Through collaboration and innovation, the agri-food community can create a world where science-based solutions help ensure sustainable food production for the global population. Agriculture has already made huge strides in sustainability. Imagine what is possible when we all work toward the shared goal of creating a world of abundance for future generations.

Together, we can provide nutrition for all, revitalize local economies and replenish the planet’s natural resources.

Demonstrating our commitment

At Alltech, we see opportunities in every challenge. We are dedicated to delivering smarter, more sustainable solutions to advance the health and performance of animals while also lowering their impact on the environment. We are committed to lowering our carbon footprint and helping producers worldwide find and implement solutions to their sustainability challenges.

We hope sharing our commitment to creating a world of abundance — and outlining the steps we’re taking to align our business with that goal — will inspire others to do the same.

The 2022 Alltech Sustainability Report shares our sustainability journey through data and stories from Alltech team members around the world. It demonstrates our commitment to ambitious climate action and advancing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals and the Ten Principles of the U.N. Global Compact.

This includes:

• Our 2021 baseline emissions and our roadmap to reduction
• Progress toward key performance indicators
• Our efforts to promote an inclusive work environment where each person feels valued and inspired to do their best
• Our initiatives to nurture a culture of sustainability in the workplace and promote sustainability in our communities
• Our collaborative approach to advancing environmental actions in the industry
• Our belief that agriculture is vital to saving the planet

A closer look

Emissions

We are committed to reducing our GHG emissions as recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to limit global warming and combat the most urgent challenges posed by climate change. IPCC has set ambitious targets that require significant transformations across all sectors of the global economy.

The world must reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5°C and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Any reduction target between now and 2050 should fall on that straight-line trajectory to net zero.

Setting and pursuing these targets demonstrates our commitment to a world of abundance for future generations.

Our sustainability team worked with colleagues from numerous departments across the company to collect and analyze our data to create an emissions reduction roadmap that will help us meet our GHG goals. We will report our progress toward our GHG goals in our annual sustainability report and to the CDP (formerly called the Carbon Disclosure Project).

Efficiency investments

Alltech invested $4.5 million in efficiency projects in 2022. These projects reduced our emissions by 7,600 metric tons CO₂e per year, which represents 82% of our necessary GHG reduction for 2023. We conducted 11 site-specific energy audits and efficiency improvement plans in 2022, and we completed 47 energy efficiency project feasibility studies.

Numerous global Alltech locations offer electric vehicle charging stations. We have invested in solar energy in Spain and Serdán, México. A third project is planned at Alltech U.K.

There are many opportunities to further reduce our emissions through energy conservation practices, such as upgrading to energy-efficient equipment, process efficiencies and other innovative solutions. We recognize the importance of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and are exploring both on-site and off-site options for solar and wind power.

Sustainable Development Goals

In 2019, Alltech committed to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. It was a natural step for Alltech because we are passionate about sustainability and making a positive impact on the planet we all share. Our continued commitment to the SDGs strengthens our mission to achieve a brighter future — together — and to inspire others in our industry to do the same.

Alltech identified nine of the U.N.’s 17 SDGs that we feel most closely align with our core business and are therefore actionable by the company:

Alltech has developed specific goals for each of the SDGs that are aligned with our business, and we are implementing a system for measuring and reporting our progress on these SDGs. We expect to discover more opportunities for innovation and improvement as we work to further advance these SDGs.

Agriculture is at the forefront of solutions to nourish and nurture our planet and its people — and we are vital to meeting the world’s climate change goals. By adopting new technologies, improving business practices and embracing innovation, the agriculture industry is working together to harness the power of human ingenuity and the sustainable science of agrifood to create a Planet of Plenty.

Key performance indicators

We developed a set of KPIs to evaluate the sustainability of our business and stay on target to meet our goals. We have evaluated our performance and created future goals in several categories, including environmental performance, labor and human rights, fair business practices, sustainable procurement, social impact, innovation, and product responsibility.

Highlights include:

• 40% of Alltech team members in management positions are women
• 52% of participants in Alltech's Mini-MBA executive management program are women
• 100% of production team members are trained in health and safety
• 70% of office-based team members are engaged in role-related training and development
• 30 countries are served by our climate advisory service, Alltech E-CO2
• We have completed seven produce life-cycle analyses and plan to complete 40 by the end of 2023
• Environmental risk assessments have been conducted on 25% of our manufacturing facilities within the past two years. We plan to complete assessments on all facilities by 2024.

Logistics and supply chain efficiency

Alltech is taking steps toward achieving a more sustainable supply chain, carefully analyzing our logistics procedures to shine light on areas in which improvements can be made, including assessing suppliers, processes and materials used, and finding ways to optimize routes, energy and fuel use.

As part of our ongoing work to make sure we engage with the most sustainable suppliers, we developed the Alltech Supplier Sustainability Questionnaire, which asks about suppliers’ environmental management systems, occupational safety and hygiene, labor and human rights, and eco-certification.

Sustainable packaging

Alltech and our family of companies have implemented packaging changes for several of our nutritional solutions. Our team carefully studies the available options for each product, fully considering the multiple ways a change in packaging could affect the environment and the nutritional integrity of the technologies we offer.

Highlights include:

• All packaging for Alltech Coppens' products is 100% recyclable.
• Ridley Block Operations produces a 100% biodegradable BioBarrel^® container, which saves almost 1 million pounds of plastic each year.
• Ridley Feed Ingredients’ Lifeforce™ horse supplements are packaged in pouches that use post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials.
• Acutia supplements are provided in compostable pouches that can be used to refill either the reusable glass jar included in the complimentary starter kit or the customer’s own storage container. These pouches are shipped in envelopes made of post-consumer waste. In 2022, Acutia supported the removal of 116.3 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere.

More to come

Through strategic collaboration and stewardship, we can transform the future of our planet with sustainable farming and nutrition — and create a world of abundance for future generations.

We will share more stories from our sustainability report in the coming days and weeks.

Stay tuned for a closer look at:

• Our collaboration with organizations and individuals to address some of the most pressing issues facing the agri-food community
• How our nutritional technologies help to create more sustainably produced meat, milk, eggs and seafood and crops grown in a healthy soil
• Our research team's leading-edge solutions that harness the power of science to nourish people and the planet
• How our team members continually look for ways to be more environmentally responsible and make a difference in their communities
• Alltech E-CO₂, the Alltech® Quality System, Alltech® IFM and more

Click here to read the executive summary of the report.

Learn more at alltech.com/sustainability.

The following blog is a summary of the Ag Future podcast episode at Alltech ONE Dublin with Dr. Fiona Walsh hosted by Tom Martin, with added insights from Dr. Walsh’s presentation at Alltech ONE Dublin. Click below to hear the full audio or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to the global health of humans, animals and the environment. By 2050, more humans globally will die from issues related to antibiotic resistance than from cancer. Within the same timeframe, there will be an 11% loss in livestock production just from antimicrobial resistance.

At Alltech ONE Dublin, Dr. Fiona Walsh, professor of microbiology at Maynooth University and head of the Antimicrobial Resistance One Health Research Centre, presented ideas on reducing animal disease without increasing antibiotic resistance.

“What we need to really remember is that it’s not only a human health problem. This is a One Health problem,” Dr. Walsh said. “[AMR] is increasing in animal health. It will reduce productivity. It will ensure that we cannot treat infections when we have more antimicrobial resistance.”

“One Health” is a movement toward greater awareness of, and action on, the health aspects of interactions between humans, animals and the environment. AMR is a threat to One Health because it can transfer between animals and soil or between food and humans.

Understanding plasmid-mediated AMR transmission and its impact

Plasmids are mobile pieces of DNA that can move between different bacteria, including bacteria of the same species or different species. They are the primary carriers of AMR genes and the smallest genetic components capable of transferring resistance.

Understanding how plasmids transfer between bacteria is key in identifying ways to prevent resistance transfer. This includes investigating the factors that inhibit transfer and exploring how plasmids move within and between humans and animals, particularly from non-pathogenic to pathogenic bacteria, where they pose a significant threat.

When animals are healthy and don’t require antimicrobials, plasmids present in antimicrobials have no selective advantage. The concern arises when plasmids carrying resistance genes are present in bacteria that are causing infections, necessitating the use of antibiotics. Therefore, health maintenance is crucial, preventing diseases rather than relying on cures.

The importance of reducing reliance on antibiotic agents

According to Dr. Walsh, it is important to focus on practices that can prevent or at least reduce the occurrence of infections on-farm that need antibiotic treatment. Transitioning to farming practices that require minimal or no antibiotics is essential, but it should be done in a way that keeps the animals  healthy in a productive environment.

Dr. Walsh reminded us that farming needs to be economically viable. While organizations advocate for banning antibiotics in animal production, we must consider the broader impact beyond the price of food, as consumers may bear the cost. Maintaining animal health is vital for a successful transition to antibiotic-free production.

Balancing sustainability and profitability

Achieving a balance between sustainability and profitability in agriculture requires considering various impacts and the perspectives of both farmers and consumers. The value that consumers place on antibiotic-free meat, for example, influences their willingness to pay a higher price for such products. However, if consumers fail to recognize the worth of antibiotic-free meat, farmers may face challenges as profits lag behind the higher costs of meeting today’s stricter regulations on antibiotics.

While scientists can contribute by listening to the difficulties faced by industry professionals and offering solutions, achieving sustainability requires collective effort. Multiple organizations and stakeholders must collaborate to develop and implement strategies that address these challenges effectively.

The futures of microbiomes, animal health and AMR prevention

“This is essentially our golden era in terms of microbiomes,” Dr. Walsh said. We already know that a strong, well-balanced microbiome can be a powerful defense system, and as we further our understanding of this vital topic, there will be future opportunities for innovation.

Additionally, advancements in sequencing technologies offer exciting prospects, allowing researchers to visualize individual bacteria within the microbiome without the need for lab cultivation. This breakthrough allows for a comprehensive understanding of each bacterium’s identity and function, offering a clear window into the microbiome’s dynamics and the presence of plasmids and their bacterial hosts. This deeper comprehension of complex interactions is providing abundant data for further exploration.

Finally, Dr. Walsh highlighted how AI and modeling now play a crucial role in understanding interactions between plasmids, bacteria, AMR, and microbiomes. AI enables large-scale analysis, allowing researchers to explore global scenarios such as the removal of antibiotics from chicken production coupled with the influence of climate change. Through AI, we can examine intricate genetic changes and movements within bacteria at a micro level. However, it is important to acknowledge that the reliability of models depends on the quantity and quality of the underlying data, and Dr. Walsh raised the importance of smaller-scale experiments to validate these large-scale models.

Related ONE content

Alltech ONE Dublin focused on collaborative solutions to the challenges facing the agri-food industry as it confronts the “4 Cs” — the major forces of climate, conflict, consumer trends and rising costs.

Explore our other content, including photos and videos, from Alltech ONE Dublin at one.alltech.com/Dublin and the links below.

Opening keynote: Feeding people while preserving the planet

Blog: McDonald’s moves toward net zero: the role of the supply chain

The power of agriculture is undeniable.

For most of our existence, humans hunted, gathered and scavenged in the wild to feed their large, nomadic communities. However, the development of agriculture about 12,000 years ago dramatically changed the way humans lived, and it has been widely recognized as a major turning point in our evolution into fully modern humans.

Agriculture allowed our ancestors to establish permanent settlements, nourished the growth of the world’s population and paved the way for advancements in science and technology. It has grown to become the world’s largest industry, employing more than 1 billion people and generating over $1.3 trillion worth of food annually.

Today’s society was built on the ingenuity of our planet’s original stewards of the land — farmers, ranchers and growers. When humans began cultivating crops and raising animals for food, it changed everything. Our nomadic ancestors put down roots, built communities and produced enough food to support them. When their crops failed or their animals didn’t thrive, our agricultural ancestors adapted and tried again. Their innovation — and grit — nourished a growing population and paved the way for advancements in science and technology.

Healthy, sustainable food systems are vital to achieving the world’s development goals and ensuring global economic growth — but climate change threatens these goals. It disrupts every aspect of agriculture and makes it increasingly difficult to ensure that sustainable nutrition is accessible to the growing global population.

Fortunately, the world’s best problem solvers are on the case.

Alltech believes that agriculture has the greatest potential to positively shape the future of our planet, just as it influenced the way humans experienced the world in the past. That’s why we are uniting the agrifood community in Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™ — a world where we can provide proper nutrition for all, revitalize local economies and replenish the planet’s natural resources.

To create a sustainable food system, “we must do much more than maintain the status quo,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, Alltech president and CEO.  “True sustainability is continuous economic, environmental and social progress. Agriculture is uniquely positioned to support these critical pillars of sustainability.”

We know that it would be impossible to create a world of abundance for future generations without addressing climate change. The demand for action provides a huge opportunity for the agriculture industry, because we have the ability to not only reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but to capture and sequester emissions that have been released by other industries.

The agriculture industry can also improve production efficiency while reducing its GHG emissions with the help of nutritional solutions, new technologies and optimal management practices. On-farm research and data collection can help the agriculture industry better understand the carbon cycle and accurately measure the effects of livestock production, leading to the development of refined strategies for tackling climate change.

RELATED BLOG: Agriculture is vital to meeting the world’s climate change goals 

As a leader in the global agriculture industry, Alltech is committed to prioritizing the efficient production of nutritious food while working to minimize our carbon footprint and helping producers worldwide find and implement solutions to their sustainability challenges.

Through strategic collaboration and stewardship, we can transform the future of our planet with sustainable farming and nutrition.

The 2022 Alltech Sustainability Report documents our environmental and social performance

Alltech is dedicated to delivering smarter, more sustainable solutions to advance the health and performance of animals while also lowering their impact on the environment. We are aligning our business processes with our goal of creating a world of abundance for all.

The 2022 Alltech Sustainability Report provides an in-depth look at the ways we are demonstrating our commitments to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Ten Principles of the U.N. Global Compact, and to Working Together for a Planet of Plenty.

Our report offers a comprehensive look at Alltech’s environmental and social performance, measured key performance indicators, reviewed business procedures, and highlighted the ways we promote sustainability in our workplaces and in our communities. We also spotlighted our collaborative approach to advancing environmental actions in the industry and amplified the power of agriculture and the vital role agri-food plays in nourishing people, animals and the land — now and into the future.

In the coming days and weeks, we will share more stories from our sustainability report and summaries of its findings. Click here to read the executive summary of the report.