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The food-feed competition is one of the complex challenges, and so are the ongoing climate change, land degradation and water shortage for realizing sustainable food production systems. By 2050 the global demand for animal products is projected to increase by 60% to 70%, and developing countries will have a lion’s share in this increase. Currently, ~800 million tonnes of cereals (one-third of total cereal production) are used in animal feed and by 2050 it is projected to be over 1.1 billion tonnes. Most of the increase in feed demand will be in developing countries, which already face many food security challenges. Additional feed required for the projected increased demand of animal products, if met through food grains, will further exacerbate the food insecurity in these countries. Furthermore, globally, the production, processing and transport of feed account for 45% of the greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector. This paper presents approaches for addressing these challenges in quest for making livestock sector more sustainable. The use of novel human-inedible feed resources such as insect meals, leaf meals, protein isolates, single cell protein produced using waste streams, protein hydrolysates, spineless cactus, algae, co-products of the biofuel industry, food wastes among others, has enormous prospects. Efficient use of grasslands also offers possibilities for increasing carbon sequestration, land reclamation and livestock productivity. Opportunities also exist for decreasing feed wastages by simple and well proven practices such as use of appropriate troughs, increase in efficiency of harvesting crop residues and their conversion to complete feeds especially in the form of densified feed blocks or pellets, feeding as per the nutrient requirements, among others. Available evidence have been presented to substantiate arguments that: (a) for successful and sustained adoption of a feed technology, participation of the private sector and a sound business plan are required, (b) for sustainability of the livestock production systems, it is also important to consider the consumption of animal products and a case has been presented to assess future needs of animal source foods based on their requirements for healthy living, (c) for dairy animals, calculation of Emission Intensity based on the lifetime lactation rather than one lactation may also be considered and (d) for assessment of the efficiency of livestock production systems a holistic approach is required that takes into consideration social dimensions and net human-edible protein output from the system in addition to carbon and water footprints.

The contents of phenolic compounds, protein precipitation capacity (PPC) and in vitro gas production of tropical browse species were evaluated. The stoichiometric relationship between in vitro gas measured on incubation of tannin-containing browses in buffered rumen fluid and calculated from short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production was investigated. Crude protein (CP) contents in the browses ranged from 54 to 300 g/kg dry matter (DM). Total phenol (TP), tannins (T) and condensed tannins (TP and T as tannic acid equivalent; CT, as leucocyanidin equivalent) ranged from 17–250, 7–214, and 0–260 g/kg DM respectively, and PPC from 0 to 1066 μg BSA precipitated/g DM. CP content of browses was negatively correlated with TP, T, CT and PPC. A significant correlation was observed between per cent change in gas production on addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the contents of phenolics (r = 0.76 for both TP and T). Addition of PEG to tannin-containing browses increased in vitro gas production. PPC was significantly correlated with TP (r = 0.87; P<0.001), T (r = 0.83; P<0.001), and CT (r = 0.41; P<0.05). A good relationship (R2 = 0.94; P<0.001) was observed between measured in vitro gas production and that calculated from SCFA. The molar proportions of SCFA were not affected by the inclusion of PEG (P>0.05). The relationship between in vitro gas measured on incubation of browse leaves and that calculated from SCFA allows prediction of SCFA from gas production.

The goal of this review was to analyze published data related to mitigation of enteric methane (CH4) emissions from ruminant animals to document the most effective and sustainable strategies. Increasing forage digestibility and digestible forage intake was one of the major recommended CH4 mitigation practices. Although responses vary, CH4 emissions can be reduced when corn silage replaces grass silage in the diet. Feeding legume silages could also lower CH4 emissions compared to grass silage due to their lower fiber concentration. Dietary lipids can be effective in reducing CH4 emissions, but their applicability will depend on effects on feed intake, fiber digestibility, production, and milk composition. Inclusion of concentrate feeds in the diet of ruminants will likely decrease CH4 emission intensity (Ei; CH4 per unit animal product), particularly when inclusion is above 40% of dietary dry matter and rumen function is not impaired. Supplementation of diets containing medium to poor quality forages with small amounts of concentrate feed will typically decrease CH4 Ei. Nitrates show promise as CH4 mitigation agents, but more studies are needed to fully understand their impact on whole-farm greenhouse gas emissions, animal productivity, and animal health. Through their effect on feed efficiency and rumen stoichiometry, ionophores are likely to have a moderate CH4 mitigating effect in ruminants fed high-grain or mixed grain-forage diets. Tannins may also reduce CH4 emissions although in some situations intake and milk production may be compromised. Some direct-fed microbials, such as yeast-based products, might have a moderate CH4-mitigating effect through increasing animal productivity and feed efficiency, but the effect is likely to be inconsistent. Vaccines against rumen archaea may offer mitigation opportunities in the future although the extent of CH4 reduction is likely to be small and adaptation by ruminal microbes and persistence of the effect is unknown. Overall, improving forage quality and the overall efficiency of dietary nutrient use is an effective way of decreasing CH4 Ei. Several feed supplements have a potential to reduce CH4 emission from ruminants although their long-term effect has not been well established and some are toxic or may not be economically feasible.

Jatropha curcas is a multipurpose and drought-resistant shrub or small tree widespread all over the tropics and subtropics. Its seeds are rich in oil, and the Jatropha kernel meal obtained after oil extraction is rich in protein. However, presence of toxic and antinutritional constituents restricts its use in fish feed. Jatropha kernel meal was detoxified. Common carp, Cyprinus carpio , fingerlings (15; av. body mass 10.9 ± 0.65 g) were randomly distributed in three groups with five replicates. A 6-week feeding experiment was conducted in a respirometer system to evaluate the growth performance, nutrient utilisation and energy budget. Fish were fed isonitrogenous diets (38% crude protein): control diet ( C ontrol group) containing fish meal (FM) protein based protein and two other diets replacing 75% FM protein with detoxified Jatropha kernel meal (DJKM, J atropha group) and soybean meal (SBM, S oybean group). At the end of the experiment, body mass gain, metabolic growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, protein productive value, energy retention, efficiency of metabolised energy for growth and efficiency of energy retention were determined. These parameters were high and statistically similar for C ontrol and J atropha groups and significantly lower ( P  < 0.05) for S oybean group. Whereas a reverse trend was observed for energy expenditure per g protein retained in fish body. No significant differences were found in heat released, gross energy uptake, metabolised energy intake, metabolisability, energy expenditure, energy expenditure per g protein fed and apparently unmetabolised energy. Conclusively, common carp–fed plant protein (DJKM and SBM) and FM protein–based diets exhibited equal average metabolic rate.

This review analyzes published data on manure management practices used to mitigate methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from animal operations. Reducing excreted nitrogen (N) and degradable organic carbon (C) by diet manipulation to improve the balance of nutrient inputs with production is an effective practice to reduce CH4 and N2O emissions. Most CH4 is produced during manure storage; therefore, reducing storage time, lowering manure temperature by storing it outside during colder seasons, and capturing and combusting the CH4 produced during storage are effective practices to reduce CH4 emission. Anaerobic digestion with combustion of the gas produced is effective in reducing CH4 emission and organic C content of manure; this increases readily available C and N for microbial processes creating little CH4 and increased N2O emissions following land application. Nitrous oxide emission occurs following land application as a byproduct of nitrification and dentrification processes in the soil, but these processes may also occur in compost, biofilter materials, and permeable storage covers. These microbial processes depend on temperature, moisture content, availability of easily degradable organic C, and oxidation status of the environment, which make N2O emissions and mitigation results highly variable. Managing the fate of ammoniacal N is essential to the success of N2O and CH4 mitigation because ammonia is an important component in the cycling of N through manure, soil, crops, and animal feeds. Manure application techniques such as subsurface injection reduce ammonia and CH4 emissions but can result in increased N2O emissions. Injection works well when combined with anaerobic digestion and solids separation by improving infiltration. Additives such as urease and nitrification inhibitors that inhibit microbial processes have mixed results but are generally effective in controlling N2O emission from intensive grazing systems. Matching plant nutrient requirements with manure fertilization, managing grazing intensity, and using cover crops are effective practices to increase plant N uptake and reduce N2O emissions. Due to system interactions, mitigation practices that reduce emissions in one stage of the manure management process may increase emissions elsewhere, so mitigation practices must be evaluated at the whole farm level.

The goal of this review was to analyze published data on animal management practices that mitigate enteric methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from animal operations. Increasing animal productivity can be a very effective strategy for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of livestock product. Improving the genetic potential of animals through planned cross-breeding or selection within breeds and achieving this genetic potential through proper nutrition and improvements in reproductive efficiency, animal health, and reproductive lifespan are effective approaches for improving animal productivity and reducing GHG emission intensity. In subsistence production systems, reduction of herd size would increase feed availability and productivity of individual animals and the total herd, thus lowering CH4 emission intensity. In these systems, improving the nutritive value of low-quality feeds for ruminant diets can have a considerable benefit on herd productivity while keeping the herd CH4 output constant or even decreasing it. Residual feed intake may be a tool for screening animals that are low CH4 emitters, but there is currently insufficient evidence that low residual feed intake animals have a lower CH4 yield per unit of feed intake or animal product. Reducing age at slaughter of finished cattle and the number of days that animals are on feed in the feedlot can significantly reduce GHG emissions in beef and other meat animal production systems. Improved animal health and reduced mortality and morbidity are expected to increase herd productivity and reduce GHG emission intensity in all livestock production systems. Pursuing a suite of intensive and extensive reproductive management technologies provides a significant opportunity to reduce GHG emissions. Recommended approaches will differ by region and species but should target increasing conception rates in dairy, beef, and buffalo, increasing fecundity in swine and small ruminants, and reducing embryo wastage in all species. Interactions among individual components of livestock production systems are complex but must be considered when recommending GHG mitigation practices.

Livestock and aquaculture production is under political and social pressure, especially in the European Union (EU), to decrease pollution and environmental damage arising due to animal agriculture. The EU has banned the use of antibiotics and other chemicals, which have been shown to be effective in promoting growth and reducing environment pollutants because of the risk caused to humans by chemical residues in food and by antibiotic resistance being passed on to human pathogens. As a result of this, scientists have intensified efforts in exploiting plants, plant extracts or natural plant compounds as potential natural alternatives for enhancing the livestock productivity. This paper discusses work on the effects of various phytochemicals and plant secondary metabolites in ruminant and fish species. The focus is on (i) plants such as Ananas comosus (pine apple), Momordica charantia (bitter gourd) and Azadirachta indica (neem) containing anthelmintic compounds and for their use for controlling internal parasites; (ii) plants containing polyphenols and their applications for protecting proteins from degradation in the rumen, increasing efficiency of microbial protein synthesis in rumen and decreasing methane emission; for using as antioxidants, antibacterial and antihelmintic agents; and for changing meat colour and for increasing n-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid in meat; (iii) saponin-rich plants such as quillaja, yucca and Sapindus saponaria for increasing the efficiency of rumen fermentation, decreasing methane emission and enhancing growth; for producing desired nutritional attributes such as lowering of cholesterol in monogastric animals; for increasing growth of fish (common carp and Nile tilapia) and for changing male to female ratio in tilapia; and for use as molluscicidal agents; (iv) Moringa oleifera leaves as a source of plant growth factor(s), antioxidants, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and various glucosinolates and their degraded products for possible use as antibacterial, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and antipest agents; (v) Jatropha curcas toxic variety with high levels of various phytochemicals such as trypsin inhibitor, lectin, phytate and phorbol esters in seeds limiting the use of seed meal in fish and livestock diets; and the use of phorbol esters as bio-pesticidal agent; and (vi) lesser-known legumes such as Entada phaseoloides seeds containing high levels of trypsin inhibitor and saponins, Sesbania aculeate seeds rich in non-starch polysaccharides and Mucuna pruriens var. utilis seeds rich in l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and their potential as fish feed; Cassia fistula seeds as a source of antioxidants; and the use of Canavalia ensiformis, C. gladiata and C. virosa seeds containing high levels of trypsin inhinitor, lectins and canavanine. The paper also presents some challenges and future areas of work in this field.

[...]a large amount of non-food parts of crops (NFPC) such as crop residues and agro-industrial by-products originate from the food supply chain, which also require natural resources to produce and have economic and environmental costs associated with them. According to previous definition of food waste: 'any losses in the foods intended for human consumption, if used as animal feed are considered as food loss', which, following the electronic conference, has been revised. Before the e-conference, the FAO 'Definitional framework of food loss' defined redirection of food to animal feed and utilization of by-products or secondary products in principle meant for human consumption as FLW (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2014). [...]a definition of FLW based on intention and not on the final product for human consumption seems unrealistic and the manner and type in which a product is to be used should not only reside with its designer or producer as both users and consumers continue to adapt product to suit their specific needs. The main purpose of animal feed used for food-producing animals is to produce food of animal origin for human consumption; feed is therefore integral part of the food chain and cannot be considered as food loss. Keeping in view the and livestock rearing and for realizing triple wins in sustainable food systems, the future needs and actions are: --. countries to quantify food losses and waste and non-food parts from agricultural products, so as to develop strategies for their reduction and for their possible use as animal...

The goal of this review was to analyze published data related to mitigation of enteric methane (CH^sub 4^ ) emissions from ruminant animals to document the most effective and sustainable strategies. Increasing forage digestibility and digestible forage intake was one of the major recommended CH^sub 4^ mitigation practices. Although responses vary, CH^sub 4^ emissions can be reduced when corn silage replaces grass silage in the diet. Feeding legume silages could also lower CH^sub 4^ emissions compared to grass silage due to their lower fiber concentration. Dietary lipids can be effective in reducing CH^sub 4^ emissions, but their applicability will depend on effects on feed intake, fiber digestibility, production, and milk composition. Inclusion of concentrate feeds in the diet of ruminants will likely decrease CH^sub 4^ emission intensity (Ei; CH^sub 4^ per unit animal product), particularly when inclusion is above 40% of dietary dry matter and rumen function is not impaired. Supplementation of diets containing medium to poor quality forages with small amounts of concentrate feed will typically decrease CH^sub 4^ Ei. Nitrates show promise as CH^sub 4^ mitigation agents, but more studies are needed to fully understand their impact on whole-farm greenhouse gas emissions, animal productivity, and animal health. Through their effect on feed efficiency and rumen stoichiometry, ionophores are likely to have a moderate CH^sub 4^ mitigating effect in ruminants fed high-grain or mixed grain-forage diets. Tannins may also reduce CH^sub 4^ emissions although in some situations intake and milk production may be compromised. Some direct-fed microbials, such as yeast-based products, might have a moderate CH^sub 4^- mitigating effect through increasing animal productivity and feed efficiency, but the effect is likely to be inconsistent. Vaccines against rumen archaea may offer mitigation opportunities in the future although the extent of CH^sub 4^ reduction is likely to be small and adaptation by ruminal microbes and persistence of the effect is unknown. Overall, improving forage quality and the overall efficiency of dietary nutrient use is an effective way of decreasing CH^sub 4^ Ei. Several feed supplements have a potential to reduce CH^sub 4^ emission from ruminants although their long-term effect has not been well established and some are toxic or may not be economically feasible. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]