European compound feed and premix sector commitment to ensure food security by providing essential feed products and services to livestock and fish farmers

FEFAC, its member associations and individual feed companies are fully committed, to fulfil their core mission: providing Europe’s farm animals and farmed fish with the adequate nutrition to ensure safe and high-quality foodstuffs of animal origin, during these times of crises.

On behalf of its members, FEFAC wants to express its gratitude to feed industry workers for their willingness to apply strict procedures and schedules in very difficult circumstances, when handling, processing, storing feed products on site and delivering feed by truck on farms. We have informed our chain partners, suppliers and farmers, to accept these new constraints in the way deliveries are performed. These procedures are meant to preserve both their own health and the health of our drivers.

We welcome the fact that feed is classified as an essential good by the EU Commission in the Guidelines on Green Lanes as well as in the recent G-20 Covid-19 declaration. However broader awareness of the vital role of feed production and supply is needed at national level to tackle the key short-term challenges on transport logistics. The undisrupted functioning of the feed supply chain is crucial in the production of foodstuffs of animal origin. At this point in time, no severe disruption has occurred at feed level, however long waiting times at border posts remains an issue in several countries.

The EU Green Lanes protocol must be fully applied to the cross-border transport of feedstuffs, including micro-ingredients, like feed additives and minerals, in order preserve animal health and welfare status of all farm animals and farmed fish, thus ensuring food security.

As highlighted by many feed and food chain sectors, access to protective equipment remains a key challenge in many countries. Being an essential sector also means granting preferential access to protective gear such as masks and gloves, especially for drivers and feed mill shift workers. FEFAC supports and welcomes the huge efforts made by the textile industry and authorities to increase the supply of this equipment to our workforce.