Groundbreaking Equine Carbon Calculator launched

The calculator is tailored to the unique needs of the equine sector. It evaluates greenhouse gas emissions and land use change impacts across entire feed portfolios, helping manufacturers and nutritionists to make informed, sustainable decisions.

Key features include:

• CO₂-equivalent (CO₂eq) Measurement: All emissions—whether carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide—are expressed in CO₂eq, allowing for direct comparison and relevance. 
• Independent, Origin-Specific Data: The tool uses the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) database, a globally recognised and independently verified source of sustainability metrics for feed ingredients as a basis.
• Comprehensive Modelling: The model is based on peer reviewed methodology, which includes ingredient processing calculations, and integrates transportation datasets from the CERDI database, offering CO₂eq as well as data for both 
   premixes and supplements.

The scale of the challenge the industry faces is significant. For example, an average 500kg adult horse being fed 2.5% of body weight in dry matter (12.5kg), split into ~70% forage and 30% compound feed (where the balancer and competition mix is using South American soya with LUC), shows a highly uneven carbon distribution across its daily diet (see graph).

Notes:

• The total CO₂ eq of this diet is 5.3kg CO₂eq/day. 
• The diet plan and formulations created to generate the numbers for the balancer, competition mix and their respective premixes are purely for demonstration purposes only, and are not based on any one specific scenario.

"The highest contributors tend to be mixes, cubes and balancers, predominantly due to the protein sources that can have high emissions, often due to the land use change applied to them", explains Dr Kayleigh Manthorpe, Equine Nutrition & Innovation Manager at Premier Nutrition. "It demonstrates that where you're sourcing ingredients from becomes really important in terms of the emissions that are then associated with the final product. Using the tool, customers can evaluate different ingredient formulations so they can make informed decisions to optimise health and performance, alongside the carbon footprint.”

As equine professionals demand more accountability and sustainability in their feed choices, the Premier Nutrition Carbon Calculator undoubtedly allows brands to take control of their carbon impact and lead the industry toward a more sustainable future.

This service is for customers only. If you would like more information about how you can have access, please speak to our Equine Nutrition team on 01889 572500 or email equine@premiernutrition.co.uk.