Sustainable Pet Food

Vegan pet foods use plant, mineral and synthetic sources to supply necessary nutrients, and the vegan food sector is rapidly growing. Very recent, large-scale studies into health outcomes, environmental sustainability and other key consumer concerns are supporting the emergence of a new disruptive vegan pet food industry. At least 20% of US livestock environmental impacts are due to pet food – a figure likely similar to that in other developed nations with high pet ownership. Global implementation of vegan dog foods alone could spare from slaughter six billion land animals annually, could save more greenhouse gases than emitted by the whole of the UK, and could free sufficient food energy to feed the entire EU human population. At least 11 studies now exist in dogs, and three in cats, showing equivalent or superior health outcomes when (nutritionally-sound) vegan pet foods are used. The presenter is one of the most active researchers in this field. He will summarise key recent developments within this field, including the emergence of cultivated meat and microbial protein-based pet foods. These are paradigm-shifting for the animal welfare and environmental sustainability movements.