Less Environmental Impact

Embracing Sustainability in Animal Nutrition 

At Evonik, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of livestock farming through our “Less is More” approach. By focusing on low crude protein diets supplemented with essential amino acids, as well as our other innovative products and services, we aim to conserve natural resources, reduce emissions, and promote animal health. 

The Power of Low Crude Protein Diets 

By lowering the crude protein content in animal feed and balancing it with amino acids like DL-Methionine (MetAMINO®), Biolys® (L-lysine), and ThreAMINO® (L-threonine), we can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of livestock farming. This approach leads to less land use, fewer resources, reduced waste, and lower emissions. 

Our science-based approach to animal nutrition offers substantial benefits for the environment. By advocating for low crude protein diets, we can reduce the resources typically consumed in livestock farming, ensuring the production of high-quality animal protein while conserving water and arable land. 

Traditional high-protein feed ingredients, such as soy, often lead to extensive land use and deforestation. Evonik's strategy promotes the use of local crops with less raw protein, enhanced by amino acid supplementation, thereby reducing the need for land-intensive feed production and helping preserve natural ecosystems. 

Reducing Nitrogen Emissions 

Optimizing Amino Acid Balance 

By optimizing the amino acid balance in animal feed, we can significantly reduce nitrogen emissions. Excess nitrogen from animal waste can degrade soil and water quality, posing a threat to ecosystems and human health. Our approach involves supplementing feeds with the most limiting amino acids, which improves feed conversion rates and reduces nitrogen excretion. 

Environmental Benefits 

Reducing protein levels in feed by just one percent, while balancing amino acids, can lead to a ten percent reduction in nitrogen excretion. This not only fosters a healthier animal diet but also reduces nitrogen pollution and the environmental footprint of animal farming. 

Products and Services 

Evonik's MetAMINO® dry crystalline methionine offers 100 percent bioefficacy, ensuring that animals fully utilize the nutrient, leading to less wastage and a lower environmental footprint. Its high purity and directly digestible form improve feed conversion rates, allowing animals to require less feed for the same yield of meat or milk, thereby conserving resources. 

Our inoSust® service supports livestock operations in reducing their environmental footprint. This service provides tailored analytics, monitoring, and verification of improvements, and assistance with certifications. By leveraging inoSust®, producers can gain transparency, prove their achievements, and generate credible answers to the pressing questions of environmental stewardship. 

Case Study: UBM Trial 

Evonik conducted a trial with Hungarian feed producer UBM using the inoSust® service to test the environmental impact of low crude protein diets in poultry. The case study showed a 9 percent lower global warming potential per metric ton of carcass weight, an 8 percent reduction in land use, and a 3 percent decrease in both soil acidification and terrestrial eutrophication. Read more here. 

Learn More 

Discover how Evonik’s amino acids portfolio helps reduce the environmental impact of livestock farming, and how our inoSust® service helps measure these gains. 

Contact Us 

Want to know more about Evonik’s products and services for animal nutrition?