New publication of corsus regarding average rations for farm animals in Germany
Agriculture contributes significantly to exceeding planetary boundaries. In Germany, food consumption causes 2,060 kg CO₂e per person annually, which corresponds to 21% of the country’s consumption-related emissions [1]. Animal products in particular have a significant impact on the environment. Around 85% of climate-relevant emissions from animal products in Germany come from agriculture, with half of these emissions attributable to feed production and the other half to direct emissions from animal husbandry [1]. Despite the importance of feed production, there is a lack of statistical data on the average feed composition for different animal species in Germany. To close this gap, corsus was commissioned by the Agora Agrar think tank to conduct a study to determine the average feed rations for farm animals in Germany.
Based on a material flow analysis (MFA), the average feed composition and quantity for different animal species was determined on the basis of national feed consumption data [2], explains Dr Ulrike Eberle, managing director of corsus and project manager of the study. The analysis was based on the current three years specified in the statistics (2020/21 to 2022/23) and took into account feed that accounts for over 95% of feed consumption. To model average German animal husbandry systems, corsus used data from the German Agricultural Society (KTBL) [3]. The most important parameters included performance levels, husbandry systems and breeds. The high performance level was chosen as the standard, with the exception of conventional Holstein-Friesian dairy cows, for which the medium level was used to align with the national average milk yield. The data was harmonised on an annual basis, taking into account mortality rates and the economic distribution between by-products.
