Industrial animal agriculture is often praised for its efficiency, enabling farmers to raise large numbers of animals on relatively small parcels of land. However, this is a deception that hides the massive amount of land required to produce the grain and soy the animals eat. In reality, 99% of the land used for industrial pig and chicken farming is actually dedicated to growing their feed, while the animals themselves occupy just 1% of the space.

This report by the non-profit organization Compassion in World Farming argues that feeding human-edible crops to animals is alchemy in reverse, turning nutritious grain into waste. Because animals are inefficient converters of energy and protein, this practice represents the world’s largest form of food waste. The report provides a detailed analysis of how feed production undermines global food security, contributes to environmental degradation, and drives up food prices for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Researchers calculated feed waste by analyzing grain usage data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and various government sources for a number of representative countries and regions. These included the U.K., U.S., and E.U., as well as Brazil, China, Czechia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, and Spain. They applied established conversion rates to determine how many calories and grams of protein are lost when grain is fed to different species. The study then compared this feed waste to conventional food waste such as that discarded by households and retailers. Projections were also made for future grain demand through 2040 using statistical models.

Staggering Inefficiencies

Globally, 766 million tonnes of grain are wasted annually by being fed to farmed pigs, chickens, and cows. This figure far surpasses other forms of global food waste. It’s estimated that households waste 631 million tonnes, food service wastes 290 million tonnes, and retail wastes 131 million tonnes.

Animals convert human-edible grain very inefficiently into meat and milk. Studies show that for every 100 calories of human-edible grain fed to animals, only about three to 25 calories enter the human food chain as meat. Protein conversion is similarly poor: for every 100 grams of human-edible grain protein fed to animals, only about five to 40 grams of protein enter the human food chain as meat. Even micronutrients are wasted. Only 7% of iron and 21% of zinc fed to animals eventually reach humans.

The report calculates that if the use of grain as animal feed ended, an extra two billion people worldwide could be fed each year. Ending the use of grain and soy as feed would also free up around 175 million hectares of arable land globally — almost the size of Indonesia. This land could then be used to grow a wide variety of crops for direct human consumption, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes.

Environmental Harms

The environmental toll of feed production is immense. It’s the primary driver of greenhouse gas emissions in chicken and pig production. In fact, feed production and associated land use change account for 67% to 91% of emissions from industrial chicken farming, and 41% to 68% from industrial pig farming.

Intensive feed production also relies on synthetic fertilizers, which cause soil acidification and water and air pollution. Furthermore, roughly 44% of highly hazardous pesticides are used on soy and maize, primarily for animal feed. Soy production is the second-largest driver of tropical deforestation. Over 20 million hectares of Brazilian forest have been lost to soy expansion over the past three decades.

Should current trends in global feed production continue, these impacts will only intensify. The report estimates that under a “business-as-usual” scenario, the total amount of grain fed to animals will rise from 1,010 million tonnes in 2022 to 1,820 million tonnes by 2040 — an 81.5% increase.

Jeopardizing Food Security

Industrial demand for grain — driven by heavy demand for meat — puts upward pressure on market prices for staple crops. This makes food less affordable for vulnerable populations in the Global South.

Using more grain as feed will threaten food security by reducing the supply available for direct human consumption. The report suggests that farmed animals only make an efficient contribution to food security when they convert materials people can’t consume into food we can eat. These materials include pasture, by-products (like brewers grains or citrus pulp), crop residues, and unavoidable food waste that’s properly treated. Moving to this system would necessitate a reduction of about 50% in global animal-sourced food production and consumption, mainly occurring in high- and middle-income countries.

Study Limitations

The report acknowledges that not all grain used for feed is currently suitable for human consumption. Additionally, if grain were no longer fed to animals, around 50% of that land would still be needed to grow replacement crops for direct human consumption to offset the loss of animal products. Finally, certain future grain use projections involve regions with lower data certainty, such as Europe and Oceania.

Key Recommendations

For animal advocates, the message is clear: ending the use of human-edible grain as feed is essential for animals, people, and the planet.

• Shift to “low opportunity cost” feed: Farmed animals should only be fed materials humans can’t eat, such as pasture, crop residues, and properly treated food waste.
• Support policy changes: Advocates can lobby for a “food first” land policy, an end to subsidies for feed crops, and divestment from industrial animal agriculture by financial institutions.
• Promote plant-rich, flexitarian diets: Governments should set clear targets to reduce animal-sourced food consumption in high-consuming populations and shift toward plant-based diets.
• Raise public awareness: Advocates can continue to educate the public about implications of different animal farming methods and consumption levels for the environment, food security, human health, and animal welfare.

By shifting toward “food not feed,” we can feed the growing world population within planetary boundaries.

This summary was drafted by a large language model (LLM) and closely edited by our Research Library Manager for clarity and accuracy. As per our AI policy, Faunalytics only uses LLMs to summarize very long reports (50+ pages) that are not appropriate to assign to volunteers, as well as studies that contain graphic descriptions of animal cruelty or animal industries. We remain committed to bringing you reliable data, which is why any AI-generated work will always be reviewed by a human.