Sustainable Alternatives to Soy-Based Feed in Chickens Diets

Feed is crucial in the environmental footprint of farming, and the development of new feed options holds the potential to mitigate its impact. The SUSTAvianFEED project proved that eliminating soy from the diet of slow-growing chickens is possible and can benefit the environment without impacting the animals.

The study, published by the University of Turin, highlights how alternative protein sources can achieve comparable growth and quality results while significantly reducing the environmental footprint of meat production.

The Environmental Impact of Soy-Based Feed

The world is facing significant environmental changes driven by population growth, urbanization, and industrialization. The increasing demand for food has led to an intensification of agriculture, with negative impacts on the environment and its ecosystems.

Intensive soybean cultivation is associated with large-scale deforestation, especially in South America, where vast areas of forest have been cleared for this precise reason. The consequences include the loss of biodiversity, climate change, and the disappearance of small-scale farming.

Given these challenges, the role of soy in animal nutrition needs to be re-evaluated in favor of more sustainable and environment-friendly alternative protein sources.

Alternative Proteins in Chicken Feed

The research was conducted on slow-growing autochthonous chicken breeds, specifically the Bianca di Saluzzo from Italy. The animals were divided into two groups: one fed a conventional soybean-based diet and the other an experimental soybean-free diet using locally sourced proteins like peas and sunflower meal.

1. Comparable Growth & Health
   The chickens on the soybean-free diet performed like those on conventional feed in growth, health markers, and meat quality without any adverse health effects.
2. Environmental Impact
   The experimental diet reduced global warming potential by 35% and significantly lowered impacts on human health, ecosystems, and resource use.
3. Optimized Farming Practices
   The results indicated 147 days as the most appropriate slaughter age for this breed, which also took into consideration the lower environmental impact at this age compared with a slaughter age of 174 days.

While further studies are essential to refine these approaches, the results signify a step toward more sustainable and ethically aligned poultry.