Seed specialist KWS is setting new standards in agriculture with its certified feeding concept for pigs. The concept is based on a high proportion of rye and can reduce CO emissions by as much as 30%.
Agriculture is currently facing major challenges: Climate change, the need to reduce its ecological footprint, growing public demands regarding animal welfare. With the successful certification of a sustainable feeding concept for pigs, seed specialist KWS and its partners are now taking a significant step towards sustainable, climate-friendly livestock farming.
Up to 30% Reduction in Emissions with Regional Rye
The focus of the concept is on animal feed containing a high proportion of rye. Thanks to its resource-efficient properties – low water and fertilizer consumption coupled with high disease resistance — this cereal crop can make an important contribution to climate protection. Hybrid rye produces approximately 70 kilograms less CO per ton of crop yield than wheat does, for example.
With this in mind, KWS has jointly developed a sustainable feeding concept for pigs together with the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover based on the results of the 6-R project1 funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). The project proved that feeding pigs a rye-rich diet can reduce CO emissions by 20 to 30% up until slaughter. The KWS concept has now received ISO 14064-2 certification, an internationally recognized standard for quantifying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, which is unique in the livestock sector.
Dr. Andreas von Felde, Head of global product management for animal feed at KWS explains: “Roughly 60% of COemissions in pork production come from animal fodder. By feeding the pigs a rye-rich diet, we can reduce this footprint by as much as 30%.”
Moreover, several studies have shown that rye not only supports the intestinal health of pigs due to its high content of fermentable fiber but also significantly reduces salmonella contamination in fattening farms. Rye additionally diminishes the development of boar odour and leads to more satisfied, calmer animals in the hog houses.
Strong Signal for the Entire Industry
The certification has created positive effects for the sector. With the “Meat Climate Platform”, players in the meat industry have set themselves the goal of finding solutions to reduce emissions.
“The platform launched in 2025 identifies the main sources of CO emissions in agriculture and the meat industry with the aim of improving the footprint,” explains von Felde. In acquiring this certification, KWS is tackling a core building block of the value chain: “We believe that we’ve brought everyone involved closer to the industry solution target for 2025.”
Food retailers and consumers expect sustainable production methods in terms of animal feed, husbandry, farm management and energy consumption. “Species-appropriate, healthy animal husbandry and sustainable food production are societal demands that we take seriously,” emphasizes the expert. In launching its KWS Sustainability Initiative 2030, the company has set itself measurable goals for sustainable agriculture. Reducing resource use and supporting sustainable nutrition are key components of this strategy.
The positive results of the feeding concept prompted KWS along with the University of Veterinary Medicine and other initiators2 to extend their research to poultry farming. The BMEL-funded FUETURE3 project is investigating how rye and regional protein sources can be used in broiler farming. “We hope to gain similarly valuable insights as those obtained in pig farming.”
Real added value for farmers
A decisive advantage for farmers is that they can officially prove their climate-friendly measures by participating in the KWS feeding concept. “Sustainable agriculture needs to offer real added value for farmers, and also be feasible,” stresses von Felde. “We offer this added value through increasingly high-yielding, efficient seeds. We are also promoting projects such as the certification of sustainable feeding concepts in cooperation with industry partners. This will allow emissions and their reduction to be precisely measured, thus resulting in greater transparency.”
Emission-reduced pig and poultry feed based on rye offer ecological and economic benefits both to farmers and feed manufacturers alike. The concept is consequently an important contribution to supporting sustainable livestock farming in Germany and Europe.
Fast Facts
- Approximately 60% of CO emissions in pork production are generated in the area of feeding.
- A reduction of 20-30% of CO emissions can be achieved by feeding pigs a rye-based diet.
- The use of hybrid rye can save 70kg CO per ton of crop compared to wheat.
- Infection trials showed significantly lower rates of salmonella contamination in pig fattening farms that use a rye-based diet.
1 6-R: Regional renaissance of rye and oilseed rape for the reduction of problems in crop and livestock production through the reevaluation of substances and their systematic use to support environmental, animal and consumer protection. The 6-R concept was developed by Prof. Josef Kamphues (University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover Foundation) and is used today as the basis for a rye-rich diet.
2 Other participants in the FUETURE project include the Bingen Technical University of Applied Sciences and the IFF (Internationale Forschungsgemeinschaft Futtermitteltechnik e.V. – International Research Association of Feed Technology).
3 Animal feed for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption – Investigations into animal feed selection and forms of supply to increase sustainability, animal health and regionality in broiler nutrition (FUETURE).
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