A key committee that advises the European Commission has endorsed an updated “code for green labelling” for animal feed, according to organisations involved in the sector.
In a joint statement, three organisations said that the EU member state representatives on the commission’s Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF) had adopted the updated code “to drive sustainable animal feed production”.
The three groups involved in the code are Copa Cogeca, which represents farmers and agricultural cooperatives; FEFAC, which represents European feed manufacturers; and FEFANA, which represents the European feed additives industry.
The decision to endorse the code by the animal nutrition section of the PAFF committee came after a 12-monthly assessment of the ‘Code of Good Labelling Practices’ for compound feed.
The joint statement said that the development “marks a significant step forward” in the promotion of sustainable feed production and reduction of emissions from livestock.
The three organisations said that the updates to the code are “inspired” by the EU’s Green Claims Directive.
The code includes guidelines for communicating the environmental performance of animal feed to farmers, which the joint statement said addresses “key impact areas” such as climate change, eutrophication of water, and livestock emissions abatement.
“The enhanced code…offers a harmonised approach to labelling that supports the feed sector’s efforts to reduce its environmental footprint.
“The code also provides clear recommendations for substantiating environmental claims for compound feed, especially in relation to livestock emissions abatement techniques,” the statement added.
According to three organisations involved in the development of the code, it will ensure that feed producers can transparently report on the environmental impact of their products, enhancing the feed sector’s transparency towards farmers and consumers.
The code includes information on 16 environmental impact categories, including water use and biodiversity, and “addresses the need for accurate reporting to meet greenhouse gas (GHG) emission requirements”.
“The endorsement of the upgraded code represents a major milestone in the path towards sustainable feed and livestock production.
“Thanks to this harmonised framework, the feed sector is now better positioned to contribute to reducing the emissions of feed and livestock production,” the statement said.