A new report shows a significant decline in the use of animal protein meals and fats in US livestock feeds. The review, published by the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF) in collaboration with industry groups, tracks feed consumption across major animal species in 2023.
The study found that animal protein meal usage dropped by 25%, while animal fats decreased by 39%. Total rendered ingredients used in livestock, poultry, and aquaculture feed fell from 9.75 million short tonnes in 2019 to 5.28 million short tonnes in 2023. The decline is attributed to several factors, including rising biofuel production, increased exports, and volatility in fat and oil prices, which nearly doubled in 2022 before stabilising.
In addition, greater efficiency in retaining human-edible products and the rise of alternative protein sources such as corn protein concentrate and fermented soy protein have contributed to the reduced use of animal protein meals. Expanding soybean crush capacity has also made soybean meal a more cost-effective alternative.
The report highlights beef cattle as the largest feed consumers in 2023, with 76.7 million tonnes of feed, followed by broilers (61.5 million tonnes) and hogs (60.9 million tonnes). Feed consumption was highest in Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Kansas.
The study also tracked shifts in feed ingredient use. Circular ingredient consumption, such as rendered products, decreased by 3.7%, while non-circular ingredients increased by 7.6%. The top five feed ingredients consumed in 2023 were corn, soybean meal, corn distiller’s dried grains, wheat middlings, and canola meal.
Kent Swisher, president and CEO of NARA and FPRF, emphasised the importance of accurate production data in demonstrating the sustainability and efficiency of the rendering industry. The findings are part of a broader effort to highlight the economic and environmental benefits of circular ingredients in the feed industry.