IFEEDER funds university research project

The Institute for Feed Education and Research, the American Feed Industry Association's 501(c)(3), announces its selection of a recipient for its first research grant chosen through a competitive process to help further education and research within the animal food industry. IFEEDER sought requests for proposals (RFPs) earlier this year from those dedicated to education and research within the animal food industry, primarily land grant universities.

Mark Hanigan, Ph.D., the David R. & Margret Lincicome professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, submitted a proposed project on an industry-specific project, "Assessing Intestinal Absorption of Amino Acids from Various Feedstuffs." As a grant recipient, Hanigan will receive up to $75,000 in three installments during the next three years. His submission was one of 12, which came from 11 different universities.

The RFP that IFEEDER's Research Committee laid out contained specific parameters, requirements and submission points for each proposal. The committee designated four research themes that IFEEDER is focusing on:

• Legislative and Regulatory Issues
• Feed Safety/Food Safety
• Animal Nutrition and Health
• Sustainability - environmental, economic, social

Hanigan's research project was chosen because of the potential improvements it will have on the American feed industry such as the impact on nutrition of the animal, health of the animal and aid in the sustainability of our industry from both an environmental and social aspect.

"Industry representatives, university scientists and feed industry consultants are the backbone of progress for the feed industry," said Chad Risley, Ph.D. (CEO of Berg+Schmidt America), who chairs IFEEDER's Research Committee. "Our commitment to research, education and sustainability for the robust future of animal feed and the needs of a growing world population, compels us to collaborate closely with allied groups for ideas and answers."

In addition to its newest research project, IFEEDER plans to continue its search for grant candidates in the future and will monitor its previous commitments--thus far $631,000 has been donated by the nonprofit foundation to research and education projects since its inception in 2009.

IFEEDER recognizes gold level donors

Two American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) member companiesrecently made generous donations to the Institute for Feed Education and Research(IFEEDER) to advance education and research within the feed industry. The donations,collectively totaling $100,000, will help IFEEDER support critical research andeducation projects focused on meeting the challenges of sustainable feed and foodproduction.
Balchem Corporation and DSM Nutritional Products, both leading animal health and nutrition companies, donated $50,000 each to the nonprofit, lifting them to the corporate gold level donation status. The companies were recognized during a check-signing ceremony recently with IFEEDER Executive Director Ken Thomas.
“At DSM, we are passionate about education and research within the industry, which are objectives recognized by IFEEDER,” said Marc de Beer, DSM senior director. “Unfortunately, there is a lot of miscommunicated information about the industry out there and DSM hopes our donation will help to produce and disseminate accurate content.”
DSM is a manufacturer of vitamins, carotenoids, enzymes and premixes for animal feed.
“Communicating within the industry is easy. That’s the lower-hanging fruit,” said de Beer. “We have a difficult time communicating what a fantastic job has been done providing safe, affordable food to those outside the industry. Hopefully, with the help of IFEEDER, we will find ways to reach out to people who may otherwise be misinformed.”
Representatives from Balchem, a global leader in choline, encapsulated ingredients and chelated minerals for animal nutrition, agree, stating there needs to be one clear, concise voice for the industry in order to positively and accurately communicate information. They believe IFEEDER should be recognized as that voice.
“IFEEDER will help to fill a void by providing timely, quality information, and there has been a void for far too long,” said Jonathan Griffin, global director of Balchem’s ruminant business.
Translation of industry research into a compelling message is one of IFEEDER’s core objectives and is also an important factor for why science-based companies donate.
“As an industry, we are focused on the science. As scientists, we are good at improving the science, but not so good at conveying the story. We have a great story, we just need help telling it,” said Scott Sorrell, Balchem’s director of global marketing.
IFEEDER was created in 2009 to address the enormous challenges our U.S. food and feed production industries will face in the next 40 years and beyond, as the world’s population grows by almost 2.5 billion people.
IFEEDER recently contributed $100,000 toward porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus research and also sponsored the 2013 Council for Agricultural Science and Technology report, “Animal Feed vs. Human Food: Challenges in Sustaining Animal Agriculture Toward 2050.”

AFIA Partners with IFEEDER to transfer scholarship fund

The American Feed Industry Association's Equipment Manufacturers Council has donated $78,000 to IFEEDER for use for scholarships to students seeking an education related to the feed industry.


Members of the American Feed Industry Association's (AFIA) Equipment Manufacturers Council (EMC) Scholarship Fund announced the donation of $78,000 to IFEEDER, a non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining the future of food and feed production through education and research. The announcement was made at the 2013 edition of the EMC Conference, held in Amelia Island, Fla.
"It's very important to create the workforce and talent that will push the feed industry forward in the future," said Matt Schuster, Laidig System's vice president for sales and EMC subcommittee member. "Our subcommittee and IFEEDER have similar goals and this partnership will help bring young people to the industry."
While historically the EMC subcommittee offered one annual $2,500 scholarship to the Kansas State University feed program, under the new arrangement, two additional $2,500 scholarships will go to two yet-to-be-determined universities. These new institutions will be vetted by a stakeholder committee to determine if their values align with AFIA's core principles.
  "It's exciting to see the feed industry and its member companies making such generous donations and efforts to bring new talent into the feed industry," says Ken Thomas, IFEEDER's executive director. "As public funding continues to decline, the private sector will increasingly need to provide funds for feed research and education - and every donation counts."

Institute of Feed Education and Research names executive director

The Institute of Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) has named Kenneth Thomas as the executive director of the charitable foundation, which seeks to sustain the future of food and feed production through education and research.
Thomas is a business leader with more than 30 years of experience in strategic positioning and company start-ups where he has focused on organizational leadership and problem solving. He has been involved in different capacities in the animal nutrition, pharmaceutical and real estate industries.
Thomas worked in the feed and animal health industries for nearly 30 years, including serving as president of AFI and director of grain processing for Farmland Industries and vice president international business for Fermenta Animal Health.

Institute for feed research receives Vita Plus donation

Vita Plus Corporation donated $75,000 to the Institute for Feed Education & Research, a charitable foundation seeking to sustain the future of food and feed production through education and research.
Vita Plus will be recognized for its contribution during a breakfast reception at the 2011 World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. Here, IFEEDER corporate secretary, Richard Sellers, will present a plaque to Bob Tramburg, CEO of Vita Plus. Sellers will also give an update on current and future IFEEDER projects, including funding for Salmonella research and educational materials for children. “Without pledges, IFEEDER would not be the success that it is in just two short years, already making a difference through a number of research donations," said Sellers. “IFEEDER is very grateful for Vita Plus’ support.”

Institute for Feed Education and Research established in the US

The American Feed Industry Association has established the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER), a tax-exempt 501(3)c foundation with a primary mission to sustain the future of food and feed production through research and education. IFEEDER is soliciting funds for researching aspects of sustainability and enhancing productivity.
IFEEDER is governed by a board of trustees and administered in part by the AFIA. The AFIA will not directly support IFEEDER but will provide staff time and resources, especially in the formative stages of the organization.
A letter to the industry from Allen Gunderson, chair of the board of trustees, emphasizes the critical need for leadership and funding to establish IFEEDER and to initiate projects.