Increased Use of Fossil Fuel
for Transport and Processing of Concentrates

The increasing demand for high quality concentrates in the industrial animal production system results in a world trade in ingredients. Concentrate ingredients are transported over large distances by truck, rail and ship. These means of transport require fossil fuel as energy source. | Environmental Assessment; Pressure-State-Response Indicators Policy Pressures and Policy Options Technology Options Further Reading

Fossil fuel is also required as an energy source for drying, milling and mixing of concentrate ingredients, and for pelletizing the mixed feed to facilitate feeding, to prevent dust, reduce waste and improve digestion.

Fossil energy is a limited natural resource and burning of fossil fuel results in the emission of CO2, which is a greenhouse gas contributing to global warming.

Carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuel could be reduced by having smaller distances between the source of feed production, feed processing, and the sites where it is consumed. Regional and local integration of feed crop production with industrial animal production will reduce the need for long-distance transport of feed.

Using energy saving techniques in the feed mill industry could reduce CO2 emissions from energy use for feed processing.

Further Reading

Increased Use of Fossil Fuel for Inputs (Mechanization, Fertilizers and Agro-chemicals)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Fossil Fuels and Taxes

OECD. (1997) CO2 Emissions from Road Vehicles. Expert group on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Working Paper 1. Click here to see this document in Acrobat format (881KB)

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