Sustainability runs through the entire chain of dairy cow production, entailing even connected, external elements - like transportation and making cartons for milk products.

 

In this process, seaweed may serve as a strong alternative for dietary supplementation to cut methane emissions and boost animal growth. This alone is not the silver bullet to sustainability, and the same should be said for virtually all solutions.

 

The issue at hand is not just about the environment; sustainability comprises so many more factors meriting attention. For instance, how much capital and land space should be allocated for aquaculture sites to produce seaweed, that can then be used for feeding cows? How would these affect the profit returns of the dairy farmer? Can a solution be created sustainably and help farmers achieve sustainable outcomes through (also) the sustainable stewardship of financial resources?

 

All aspects of dairy cow production therefore hinge on sustainability. The matter is inherently complex and finds no easy answer. However, a comprehensive strategy can utilise all relevant solutions together, delivering sustainable results through sustainable means. At one of the most fundamental levels of production, animal dietary quality should be improved.

 

As primary means to satisfy dietary requirements, feed additives can meet the demands of sustainable production at a time of high feed prices and tight supplies.

 

For more effective, sustainablydeveloped diets, Adisseo considers methionine supplementation as key to amino acid balancing: an approach that "minimises the reliance on over-formulation for dietary crude protein and metabolisable protein while also improving lactation performance, transition cow health and reproductive success" (pages 8-9). Ruminant expert Antoine Bertho shares more about amino acid balancing and ways to "optimise feed costs, maintain performance and defend profitability."

 

From the perspective of Adisseo, what a cow consumes is the gateway to realise sustainability in its many forms, not excluding economic gains.

 

Better dietary formulation is not the total answer to sustainability. Yet, so much rethinking of how we feed cows is warranted to feed the world more sustainably.

 

The full article is published on the September 2023 issue of LIVESTOCK & FEED Business. To read the full report, please email to inquiry@efeedlink.com to request for a complimentary copy of the magazine, indicating your name, mailing address and title of the report.