The search for economically profitable organic feed has long been a problem for European producers of organic poultry, which for many years largely depended on imported organic soybeans as a high protein feed.

Project OK-Net EcoFeed, established last year and funded in the framework of EU Horizon 2020, the European organic helps farmers to obtain information about alternative sources of protein and to encourage the use of a larger number of regional feeds.

The project has 19 partners in 11 European countries, and it will last until the end of next year. The consortium includes feed mills and factories, farmers and farmers ' organizations, research institutions, universities and Advisory Agency.

And now the IFOAM EU Group has released a 72-page summary document that encompasses the needs in the whites of laying hens, broilers and pigs, the different resources of protein feed and their nutritional content, equipment for processing feed and different feeding strategies.

Feeding poultry and pigs 100% organic and regional food can be a problem, especially in obtaining sufficient amounts of protein and specific amino acids. In their study, the IFOAM EU Group offers 2 ways to solve the problem.

"The first solution is to use byproducts such as waste of various industries. You should also start looking for new protein sources, such as marine products, or to improve the use of known products such as fodder grasses.

Another solution is to feed the animals less intensively. For this feeding strategy is better suited a slow-growing breed. Some slow-growing species already known, including the old breed. However, slow-growing breed will affect the direction of fall of the incomes of farmers, which will lead to higher prices for eggs and meat. However, there are many combinations of feeding strategies or growing at the regional level of feed and low productivity species that deserve attention," the document says.

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