Can waste re-cycling increase the sustainability of animal feeds?

Abstract

An annual procution of over one billion tonnes, and an economic turnover in excess of $US400 billion; this is the animal feed industry. The vast majority of animal feed is given to terrestrial farm animals; those reared for meat, and those used to produce eggs and dairy products. Fish feeds make up about 5% of the total volume of animal feeds and have a 10% share of marked sales. <p>

<p>It is easy to see that far more feed is needed to produce 70 million tonnes of beef cattle, 115 million tonnes of pigs and almost 120 million tonnes of poultry, than to produce 55-60 million tonnes of farmed fish. Farm animal production is predicted to increase to about 105 million tonnes of beef cattle, 150 million tonnes of pigs, 200 million tonnes of poultry and 115 million tonnes of farmed fish by 2050, and the amount of feed needed to double from the one billion tonnes used today to two billion tonnes in 2050.