An unusual year is drawing to a close. Face-to-face events are rare, public pressure on animal husbandry is increasing, the number of animals kept is decreasing. This also increases the pressure on compound feed producers. Volume growth no longer takes place. New concepts and ideas are sought in animal nutrition as well as in the production of compound feed. The technical equipment in the factories must be kept up to date and digitalisation is making inroads in many areas.

Animal nutrition is a very research-intensive sector. New raw materials and additives are tested and tried out. The development departments grow and support the economic basis of the feed companies. New functions with regard to the environment and animal welfare are increasingly being taken into account without neglecting the economic basis, feed efficiency.

Feed mills are full of technology that is constantly evolving. This is not only to improve efficiency and profitability, but also to meet the demands of animal nutrition. Only companies that keep their finger on the pulse of the times with their equipment and are open to innovations can meet the growing demands on feed production.

As in many other industries, the feed industry has recognised that sustainability is an essential direction for sustaining life on earth. Among other things, FEFAC as the European umbrella organisation of the feed industry has created a basis for measuring the ecological footprint of the feed industry with the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rule (PEFCR) Feed for Food-Producing Animals. More and more feed companies are referring to this in their sustainability guidelines.

For the technical equipment of a compound feed mill, it is important to take advantage of advances in feed processing. Thus, replacement investments should not only pursue pure replacement but also provide for progress - especially in terms of animal welfare and animal health, as shown in this issue by the example of a crushing roller mill with individual roller drive.

The conditions in the compound feed mill, transport vesel and feed trough can be very stressful for additives. Temperature, pressure, humidity, vibration and other influences are involved when an additive does not have the effect it should have. This has to be taken into account in development and formulation if the compound feed producer and the livestock farmer are to be satisfied with a product and the return on investment makes it economical to use.

Once again, a year tends to come to an end. A special year of pandemic, event cancellations, accelerated changes in nutritional behaviour, the appearance of ASF in Germany and a decline in European compound feed production. For the coming year, the main hope lies in the end of the pandemic and its negative consequences but also in an improved environment for the feed industry. But some trends are likely to remain irreversible.

Research and development is driven by many small and big ideas. Not holding on to what has been achieved, but searching for and going new ways brings marketable innovations. The results from the R+D departments presented in this issue focus on healthy animals with high performance. A lot of hard work is put into the conservation of resources by adapting them to the conditions in the digestive tract, which often relieves the strain on the metabolism and reduces the burden of nutrition.

Special feeds often require special techniques. Both are given special consideration in this issue. Encapsulation, carry-over control and special additives allow the production of special mineral feeds, feeds with immunity-enhancing properties and the supply of trace elements. Here a close interlocking of nutritional knowledge and technology is required.

Special feeds often require special techniques. Both are given special consideration in this issue. Encapsulation, carry-over control and special additives allow the production of special mineral feeds, feeds with immunity-enhancing properties and the supply of trace elements. Here a close interlocking of nutritional knowledge and technology is required.

Especially in times of crisis, it becomes clear that extensive economic activity is not automatically sustainable. Particularly in feeding, it is clear that the path to greater sustainability is closely linked to increased efficiency. High productivity with low resource use is not a requirement that is only economically necessary.

With regard to the future direction of the feed industry, we dare to take a look at the technical equipment of the plants despite current constraints. Special emphasis is placed on the structure of the feed, which can be used to achieve significant progress in animal nutrition. As many industry events have been and will be cancelled or postponed, we won‘t published the usual list of planned events in this issue.

The tasks for which feed additives are used are changing and increasing. It is long ago since additives were only meant to improve livestock yield and performance. Safeguarding animal health is the basis and additional benefit here. But further tasks can and should be covered too. It is possible to influence animal behaviour so that cannibalism can be restricted. Reducing boar taint is another extended application.

What will it bring for the industry? Not only climate change and declining livestock numbers give us food for thought. Nutrient reduction and other measures to reduce emissions show ways of maintaining animal stocks. The threat of an outbreak of African Swine Fever continues and is even higher than it was before. This will probably bring the export markets for pork to a standstill.

The tasks to be performed by feed are becoming ever more extensive. They have long since involved more than simply satisfying the animal needs for supplies of the basic nutrients – carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Instead, aspects such as nutrient reduction without forfeiting any performance or health capacities and, animal welfare effects (tail-biting, feather-pecking) are expected and satisfied.

The tasks of feed have changed in the course of time. Starting with satiation of the livestock, coupled with support for the animal’s growth or performance, this was soon joined by a further essential task – use of substances that cannot be used for human diets. More recent tasks added to the agenda are health maintenance, reduction of excretions and support for animal-friendly husbandry systems – using raw materials from sustainable sources.

From the 12th to the 14th of June the Victam in Cologne shows innovations in the technology for compound feed production. Not only is the composition of feeds subject to considerable innovation pressure, but also the technical processing of raw materials and additives requires constant adaptation.

This year, the European compound feed industry association, Fefac, celebrates its 60th anniversary. Over the past 60 years, the compound feed industry has had to endure many crises, always supported by its strong representation in Brussels. And Fefac is able to withstand the trials of the time, recognizable by the Fefac Vision 2030 at the latest, in which problem areas to be identified are named at an early stage and solutions are pointed out and demanded.

The feed industry is an extremely innovative sector. Its innovative capacity grows with the challenges it faces. The current challenges are to promote the health status of high-performing animals and to reduce the nutrient elimination from intensive animal husbandry. Special solutions are also being developed for animal welfare. The industry may not rest on its laurels if animal production in Europe is to have a lasting future.