On May 31 & June 1, David Dayhoff and Carlos Saviani from dsm-firmenich participated in the annual Future of Food USA conference, hosted by the Innovation Forum. This conference draws 250+ delegates representing NGOs, suppliers, traders, development agencies, and more. Attendees represent a broad range of key stakeholders involved in defining, planning and implementing sustainable practices across agricultural supply chains. During the conference, David spoke on a panel titled, “Can animal agriculture at scale be environmentally sustainable?” along with the Chief Sustainability Officer of Yum! Brands and the Executive Director of the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. 

dsm-firmenich sponsored and participated in this event because in spite of a lot of buzz about the growth of plant-based proteins and diet shifts, animal proteins are a central part of the “Future of Food.” Most projections are for consumption of animal proteins to increase in the next 10 years. For example, the OECD-FAO Agriculture Outlook 2021-2030 states “Growth in global consumption of meat proteins over the next decade is projected to increase by 14% by 2030 compared to the base period average of 2018-2020, driven largely by income and population growth.” (You can also view these projections from the UN FAO and the OECD). Today, about 98% of American households buy meat, and less than 10% of Americans and Canadians are vegetarians or vegans. 

Even with the growth of plant-based protein products, no matter what, animal proteins will be a significant part of the food system of the future. Simply put, there is literally a place at the table for meat and plant-based alternatives.

Given that fact, it is important to improve the sustainability of animal agriculture by clearly understanding and taking actions to improve our carbon footprint, energy use, manure management, and more—and it’s not only possible, but well underway. dsm-firmenich will continue to advocate for, and work with our customers and others, to drive, measure and tell the story of improving sustainability of meat, milk and eggs. 

If you would like to learn more about dsm-firmenich’s products and services that support sustainability, don’t hesitate to contact your dsm-firmenich representatives or reach out to David Dayhoff, North America Sustainability Director for dsm-firmenich.