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Food-feed nexus in the agrifood chain : quantification and alternatives assessed using a novel protein flow analysis on a systemic level

Enrico Roets, Ruben Vingerhoets (UGent) , Joris De Backer, Siegfried E. Vlaeminck, Matthias Buyle, Erik Meers (UGent) , Tim Van Winckel and Marc Spiller
(2025) JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. 380.
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Abstract
Sustainable food systems are one of the primary goals within the EU's Green Deal. To achieve and benchmark this, proteins should be traceable throughout the system. This study achieves this with a novel layered analysis approach, treating crude protein as a traceable property within the Flemish agri-food system, revealing a complex protein network. Protein efficiency indicators highlight the competition between food and feed. This study found that only 24 % of processed food protein reaches consumers, with the remainder sent to residual streams. In Flanders, pork is the most dominant animal protein produced, followed by dairy, which produced 75 % of cattle output, and poultry, where eggs made up 7.5 % of the animal protein supplied to retail. To maintain the current means of livestock production, 21–34 % of the protein input in the form of feed consists of protein that could be food instead. Feed production depends on protein-containing residual streams, revealing a tightly interdependent protein network. The study highlights the ratios of non-humanly digestible to digestible protein in pork (66:34), poultry (75:25), and cattle (79:21). The results propose a scenario where a decrease in pork production could reduce imported feed demand (12 %) while having a 7 % increase in by-product generation. A further 11 % decrease in animal protein to retail is seen, while a 29 % increase in plant protein availability to retail is observed, with notable differences in protein quality between plant and animal sources. In conclusion, this study unveils the protein dynamics in Flanders' agri-food system, emphasizing the importance of optimizing protein allocation, mainly through strategic adjustments in pork production, while grappling with balancing nutritional efficiency and quality in animal products.
Keywords
Material flow analysis, Protein transition, Production chain, Nutrient flows, Systems analyses, Protein network, NITROGEN, LIVESTOCK

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MLA
Roets, Enrico, et al. “Food-Feed Nexus in the Agrifood Chain : Quantification and Alternatives Assessed Using a Novel Protein Flow Analysis on a Systemic Level.” JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, vol. 380, 2025, doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125009.
APA
Roets, E., Vingerhoets, R., De Backer, J., Vlaeminck, S. E., Buyle, M., Meers, E., … Spiller, M. (2025). Food-feed nexus in the agrifood chain : quantification and alternatives assessed using a novel protein flow analysis on a systemic level. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, 380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125009
Chicago author-date
Roets, Enrico, Ruben Vingerhoets, Joris De Backer, Siegfried E. Vlaeminck, Matthias Buyle, Erik Meers, Tim Van Winckel, and Marc Spiller. 2025. “Food-Feed Nexus in the Agrifood Chain : Quantification and Alternatives Assessed Using a Novel Protein Flow Analysis on a Systemic Level.” JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125009.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Roets, Enrico, Ruben Vingerhoets, Joris De Backer, Siegfried E. Vlaeminck, Matthias Buyle, Erik Meers, Tim Van Winckel, and Marc Spiller. 2025. “Food-Feed Nexus in the Agrifood Chain : Quantification and Alternatives Assessed Using a Novel Protein Flow Analysis on a Systemic Level.” JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 380. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125009.
Vancouver
1.
Roets E, Vingerhoets R, De Backer J, Vlaeminck SE, Buyle M, Meers E, et al. Food-feed nexus in the agrifood chain : quantification and alternatives assessed using a novel protein flow analysis on a systemic level. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. 2025;380.
IEEE
[1]
E. Roets et al., “Food-feed nexus in the agrifood chain : quantification and alternatives assessed using a novel protein flow analysis on a systemic level,” JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, vol. 380, 2025.
@article{01JQ92WPE2KW1Y81SNX0RHGTXT,
  abstract     = {{Sustainable food systems are one of the primary goals within the EU's Green Deal. To achieve and benchmark this, proteins should be traceable throughout the system. This study achieves this with a novel layered analysis approach, treating crude protein as a traceable property within the Flemish agri-food system, revealing a complex protein network. Protein efficiency indicators highlight the competition between food and feed. This study found that only 24 % of processed food protein reaches consumers, with the remainder sent to residual streams. In Flanders, pork is the most dominant animal protein produced, followed by dairy, which produced 75 % of cattle output, and poultry, where eggs made up 7.5 % of the animal protein supplied to retail. To maintain the current means of livestock production, 21–34 % of the protein input in the form of feed consists of protein that could be food instead. Feed production depends on protein-containing residual streams, revealing a tightly interdependent protein network. The study highlights the ratios of non-humanly digestible to digestible protein in pork (66:34), poultry (75:25), and cattle (79:21). The results propose a scenario where a decrease in pork production could reduce imported feed demand (12 %) while having a 7 % increase in by-product generation. A further 11 % decrease in animal protein to retail is seen, while a 29 % increase in plant protein availability to retail is observed, with notable differences in protein quality between plant and animal sources. In conclusion, this study unveils the protein dynamics in Flanders' agri-food system, emphasizing the importance of optimizing protein allocation, mainly through strategic adjustments in pork production, while grappling with balancing nutritional efficiency and quality in animal products.}},
  articleno    = {{125009}},
  author       = {{Roets, Enrico and Vingerhoets, Ruben and De Backer, Joris and Vlaeminck, Siegfried E. and Buyle, Matthias and Meers, Erik and Van Winckel, Tim and Spiller, Marc}},
  issn         = {{0301-4797}},
  journal      = {{JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT}},
  keywords     = {{Material flow analysis,Protein transition,Production chain,Nutrient flows,Systems analyses,Protein network,NITROGEN,LIVESTOCK}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{10}},
  title        = {{Food-feed nexus in the agrifood chain : quantification and alternatives assessed using a novel protein flow analysis on a systemic level}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.125009}},
  volume       = {{380}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}
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