Food vs. feed is a competition for resources between growingcrops for human consumption and growingcrops for animal feed.[1][2]Competing resources includes: land, water sources, fertilizers, labor, and finances[3]
Part of the competition is the division ofland. In many countries, livestock graze on land that is typically unsuitable for crops grown for human consumption or food crops. There is three times as muchagricultural land[4] asarable land.[5]
TheFood and Agriculture Organization utilizes the termfood vs. feed in thelivestock industry to compare crop inputs vs. protein outputs. For example, crops for people to eat require less land and other resources than crops for animals to eat so people can eat them.[5][6][7]
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, global emissions from agriculture are outputting an estimate of 5.4 billion tons of greenhouse gases.[8]Since the 1960s, international trade in feed and animal products has increased tenfold, driven by the growing global demand for meat and dairy products, fueled by population growth and the increasing popularity of animal-based protein diets. This trend has intensified the need to allocate more land exclusively for feed production. Additionally, the demand for crops intended for human consumption has risen due to population growth. Global trade in vegetables has surged 7.5 times since the 1960s.[9]Beside the trade of crops, feeds, and animal products; thetransportation of resources involved for the crop cultivation also contributes the emission of CO2. Transport of resources such as crop seeds, processed feed, fertilizers, pesticide, and other resources involved in the farming operations.[3][10]
Circular agriculture is defined as a sustainable farming system that promotes waste cycling and resource preservation.[10] Farms that exclusively produce food crops or exclusively produce feed generates excess waste that contributes to environmental pollution[8] In acircular agriculture system,wasted food (no longer edible by humans) can be provided to livestock, which in turn feed humans.[11][12] Not only can the food waste be redirected as feed, it can be composted into fertilizers to enrich the soil. Food waste utilized as feed causes a reduction in GHG emissions as the process decreases waste disposal process and excessive feed production. The waste not only accumulates from rotten, unharvested, and expired crops, but remnants from the harvest such as stems, stalks, and other unconsumed parts of the crops. Resources for cultivating the crop such as manure, plant-based materials, and other biodegradable items will contribute to the landfill. All of which will contribute to the emission of methane, a GHG.
Farm waste in landfills without oxygen would producemethane (CH4), a GHG that traps more heat thancarbon dioxide(CO2). According to theMIT Climate Portal, methane captures 120 the amount of heat that carbon dioxide does in a given moment.[13] Beside anaerobic composition of farm waste in landfills, methane is also produce fromenteric fermentation andmanure management.[8]
China alone produces 708 millions tons placing the country first in agriculture emission with a 13.5 percent share of global contribution. As a separate measurement, livestock emission produces 150 millions tons. Due to high demand of both crops and livestock, farms in the country has adopted more circular agriculture practices to prioritize meeting the demands. Practices such as having on site processing facilities that turns farm waste into both feed and fertilizer.[8] Beiqiu farm located inDezhou City in theShandong Province of China utilizes a circular agricultural system where it prioritizes both food crops and feed crops for farm's livestock. Beiqiu farm produces wheat and corn for both food production and livestock feed. Crops that the farm cannot be sold are repurposed as feed, and a portion of the harvest is allocated from sales to ensure there is sufficient feed for the livestock. Livestock manure and crop byproducts are repurposed as organic fertilizers through Beiqiu's on-site processing facility, ensuring that no waste is sent to landfills. This process lowers the farm's costs while also reducing excess greenhouse gas emissions produced on the farm.[8]Feeding livestock with onsite crops reduces emission through eliminating the need to transport off-farm sources of feed.[10]
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