Niederzissen, Germany-based Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition is investing EUR700,000 (US$825,000) in a new research and development project, for which it is receiving funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the scope of the InnoTop program of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
The aim of the project is to develop a sanitizing multifunctional additive for animal feed that can be used globally and that should help make valuable resources and animal feed more durable in accordance with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) guidelines. Dr. Eckel’s development team is collaborating with external partners, both local and foreign, on new combinations of active ingredients, measurement methods and production technologies to achieve this ambitious project goal.
Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition has been working toward more efficient feed use and improved animal welfare for more than 20 years. According to the FAO, more than 800 million people are still threatened with hunger. Meanwhile, about 30 percent of all resources worldwide — raw materials, soil, water and energy — go to waste, because food still rots in the fields, spoils due to mould or pests, gets damaged in transit or is destroyed. At the same time, extensive farming and intensive animal husbandry cause further problems such as soil over-fertilization, drinking water pollution and climate-wrecking gas emissions. Policymakers, consumers, traders and producers are equally answerable for solutions to these global challenges.
Tilman Wilke, product development team manager, and Dr. Michael Wilhelm, technical sales team manager, are very pleased and proud of the funding approval; both departments have put a lot of effort into thoroughly preparing for this project, achieving this success.
For Dr. Bernhard Eckel, head of business development and sales, funding is not only an important tool for planning and implementing such large research and development projects: “Of course, funding provided by the Investment and Economic Development Bank of Rheinland-Pfalz (ISB) is a major risk buffer. However, this approval primarily confirms our commitment to contributing innovative solutions pertinent to our area, namely resource-efficient and sustainable food production suitable for humans, animals and the environment.”
Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition researches and develops innovative additives that help produce, use and store animal feed in a more effective and resource-efficient manner. Sustainable, climate-friendly and animal-friendly food production is one of the major challenges of modern agriculture.
