Group, told the Environmental Committee that the phrase
“environmental justice” will be used often in this new
presidential administration and be a top priority. Environmental
justice is defined as adverse social and environmental impacts
of a project disproportionately affecting heavily minority/
impoverished communities and is separate from the climate
discussion. She said agriculture and ag manufacturing are
frequently looked at in this conversation, so renderers should
be prepared.
During NARA’s Legislative Committee meeting, Michael
Koewler, Sacramento Rendering, reported that California
legislation passed in 2006 and 2017 to lower greenhouse gases
through a 75 percent reduction of organics being landfilled by
2025 is putting rendering at odds with waste collectors across
the state. California renderers have engaged in a coalition
with allied industries to contest waste haulers attempting to
receive diversion credits from products that have traditionally
gone into feed or rendering. A survey on the amount of
animal by-products already diverted has caught traction with
the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA),
California’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and
CalRecycle.
Dr. Hui Xu, Argonne National Laboratories, discussed a
biofuel life-cycle analysis (LCA) study with NARA’s Sustainability
Committee after contacting the association to gather data on
animal fats and used cooking oil (UCO). Argonne’s “Greenhouse
gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies,”
or GREET, model has been recognized by legislators as the gold
standard for biofuel LCA. Argonne is coauthoring the federal
EPA’s report to Congress on biofuels and the environment.
So far, data collection has been limited and more participants
are needed; without data, the LCA cannot move forward.
Meeker encouraged renderers to contribute data, which is
kept confidential, as it is of great value to the project.
“In today’s environment, having good LCA and carbon
intensity data is as important as having good nutrient
digestibility data 20 years ago,” said Dr. Ross Hamilton, Darling
Ingredients and Sustainability Committee Chairman. “Good
LCA/carbon intensity data is also essential for lobbying due
to the emphasis on climate.”
Members of NARA’s Legislative Committee discussed the
Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act that, if passed,
would give leniency to the transportation of livestock and
agricultural commodities. NARA is working with a coalition to
get rendering raw materials and finished rendered products
included in this legislation and the resulting rulemaking by
the US Department of Transportation. In NARA’s Animal
Protein Producers Industry meeting, it was reported that the
biosecurity testing program shows renderers are doing a great
job at keeping their finished products safe from contaminants.
International Market Focus
NARA staff reports to the International Market
Development Committee focused on Europe, Mexico, Asia,
and world markets. Bruce Ross, Ross Gordon Consultants, said
with no classical cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) since 2018, and 24 European Union (EU) member states
classified as negligible risk for BSE, the European Commission
has indicated it is time to relax the feed ban for processed
animal proteins (PAPs) in poultry and swine feed (PAPs in fish
feed have been allowed since 2013). Justification for relaxation
includes no feed ban in the rest of world; few, if any, BSE cases;
a feed protein deficit in the EU; feed manufacturers’ need
for more sustainable ingredients; and tough controls at feed
mills and in transport. Feed compounders, however, are not
entirely receptive for several reasons, including concern of
retailer/consumer resistance. Ross reported that China was
the biggest supplier of UCO to the EU, but Malaysia has now
taken the top spot with Indonesia becoming a large exporter as
well; however, feedstocks imported by the EU are scrutinized
for their sustainability, indirect land use, authenticity/quality,
and traceability.
Kent Swisher, senior vice president of NARA international
programs, shared that the top three exporters of UCO/yellow
grease are China, with most product going to the EU for
biofuels; the United States, with almost all product going to
the EU and Singapore for biodiesel and renewable diesel; and
Malaysia, which is also mostly exported to the EU. The top
three global exporters of PAPs are the EU, although trade has
flattened out over the past three years; the United States, with
exports increasing more than three-fold in the past 10 years;
and Australia, also with a flattening export market.
Swisher reported that the US Energy Information
Administration began publishing a new report this year on
the consumption of raw material in biofuels that includes
renewable diesel and co-processing. He said the January report
shows previous survey data reported for yellow grease has
been too low, which is important as EPA looks at this data to
determine future renewable energy goals.
German Davalos, NARA regional director for Latin
America, stated Central and South America were already
having economic challenges prior to COVID-19. With 8 percent
of the world’s population, Latin America has 20 percent of
recorded global cases and almost 30 percent of deaths (this
was reported prior to India’s outbreak in May). Despite Mexico
suffering a 9 percent economic downturn in 2020 (the worst
since 1929), agriculture and food animal production grew by
2.7 percent. Mexico’s annual feed production has increased
4 percent annually the past four years, making it now the
fifth largest feed producer in the world thanks to growing
pork, poultry, and pet food industries. Davalos reported that
US rendered product exports to Latin America increased 25
percent in 2020 over 2019.
Peng Li, NARA regional director for Asia, said China is
the largest feed producer in the world at more than 240
million metric tons in 2020. The US market share of rendered
product imports by China was more than 60 percent in 2020,
a 20 percent increase over 2019. Aquaculture remains a
valuable market for animal proteins, as does the growing pet
food industry due to a strong economy, improved household
incomes, and demand for companion animals. Other countries
of importance to US rendered product exports include
Indonesia (top export market for bovine meat and bone meal
and poultry meal), Vietnam (third largest US protein export
market), and the Philippines (number one market for US
exports of mixed-species meat and bone meal). R
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