A European
Doctoral Network
dedicated to transforming livestock production into a more circular, climate-resilient, and sustainable system.
Training
13 Doctoral Candidates
who work across countries, disciplines, and sectors to rethink how animals are fed.
Evaluating innovative alternative feeds
including locally grown forages, food-industry by-products, and insect-based proteins, and explores how they can be safely and effectively integrated into livestock diets.
Aiming to reduce the environmental footprint
of agriculture, improve farm efficiency, and ensure that milk, meat, and eggs remain nutritious, safe, and affordable for European consumers.
Why FEATURE?
Feeding a growing global population means producing more food with fewer resources and significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock systems play a vital role in food security, yet they are also a major source of methane emissions. Feed production alone represents a large share of farming costs and environmental impact, making it a critical leverage point for change.
FEATURE addresses this challenge by:
- Reducing reliance on conventional protein crops such as soy
- Improving feed efficiency and animal performance
- Lowering methane emissions and environmental footprint
- Supporting farmers with practical, evidence-based solutions
Doctoral Candidates
Alternative Feed Categories
European Countries
Academic & Industry Partners
Quick facts
Key Objectives
1. Sustainable Feed Innovation
Identify, evaluate, and validate alternative feed solutions
2. Farm Performance and Climate Impact
Demonstrate how innovative feeding strategies improve productivity
3. Food Quality and Consumer Value
Assess how sustainable feeding practices influence
4. Environmental and Economic Sustainability
Quantify the full farm-to-fork environmental, economic, and value-chain impacts
5. Doctoral Network and Future Leadership
Build a dynamic international doctoral network
FEATURE combines cutting-edge research with a structured international doctoral training programme. Our approach connects science, industry, and policy to generate real-world impact while preparing future leaders in sustainable livestock systems.
Our approach includes:
13 interdisciplinary research projects
across the full livestock value chain, from feed innovation to food quality and environmental assessment
International mobility and cross-sector secondments
with leading industry and research partners
4 specialised training schools
and 3 technical workshops
Transferable skills development
in communication, entrepreneurship, and policy engagement
Research
& Training
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