Livestock project to find sustainable feed begins

A four-year study will examine how to produce alternative feeds, likely to have a lower environmental impact, for livestock.

Ryegrass, grains and other protein-rich foods are often used, but supplies are sensitive to climate change, pollution and price instability, the University of Reading said.

Professor Sokratis Stergiadis, who will lead the project for the university, said it would look at “everything from how animals respond to different foods to what this means for farmers, the environment, food quality and consumers”.

The €4 million (£3.5 million) EU-funded research also involves researchers from other countries, including Belgium, Spain, Italy and Ireland.

“The project combines laboratory research, on-farm studies, life cycle assessments and close collaboration with the agriculture and feed sectors,” added Stergiadis.

“This can provide practical, ready-to-use solutions, reducing Europe’s dependence on imported proteins and reducing the environmental footprint of livestock farming.”

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