This publication by FAO examines how fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW) could be used as livestock feed. The demand for livestock products is rapidly increasing in most developing countries but in many cases there are severe feed deficits. The sustainability of feed production systems is being challenged due to biophysical factors such as land, soil and water scarcity, food-fuel-feed competition, ongoing global warming and frequent and drastic weather events, along with increased competition for arable land and non-renewable resources such as fossil carbon-sources, water and phosphorus.
Currently a large proportion of these fruit and vegetable wastes are dumped in landfills or rivers, causing environmental hazards. Alternatives to such disposal methods include ‘recycling’ through livestock as feed resources and/or further processing to extract or develop value-added products. These wastes can thereby act as an excellent source of nutrients and help to bridge the gap between demand and supply of feedstuffs. In addition such use could also reduce the cost of feeding, leading to greater profitability for farmers.
To read more click here, and to download the full report click here.
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