FEFAC asked its members via a questionnaire which are the environmental, animal health and animal welfare challenges where advanced animal feeding strategies can play a role of importance. The additional, species-specific pressure point today for ruminants is bringing down methane emissions, which have an impact on climate change. Although the methane emissions are part of a biogenic cycle, there are feeding strategies that can help reduce them and thus bring down GHG emissions related to cattle farming. There are also solutions to tackle ammonia and nitrogen emissions related to manure excretion, which have impacts on air quality, biodiversity and water bodies.

Lactating ruminants can also face animal welfare challenges, such as heat stress, which occurs when cows have more heat than they can get rid of. This leads to more stress, lower milk production and a higher rate of diseases.