BASF and Cargill expand partnership to develop and commercialize enzyme-based solutions for the animal feed industry

BASF and Cargill are expanding their partnership in the animal nutrition sector, adding research and development capabilities and new markets to the partners' existing feed enzyme distribution agreements. Together, they will develop, produce, market and sell customer-focused enzyme products and solutions. The aim is to offer farmers food innovations that reduce nutrient waste – improving feed efficiency and promoting animal growth and welfare, and that support the overall sustainability of animal production.

“We are proud to enter this next phase of collaboration with Cargill. Through joint solutions, we will further increase value creation opportunities in the enzyme space,” says Julia Raquet, Senior Vice President Animal Nutrition and Ingredients BASF aromatics.

"Together, BASF and Cargill deliver market solutions that seek to reduce nutrient waste to zero and address customers' key productivity and sustainability challenges. By combining our scientific excellence and animal nutrition expertise, we will advance the industry's efforts faster of animal feed towards greater absorption of nutrients through enzymes that promote animal well-being and environmental protection”, says Adriano Marcon, President of Cargill's Animal Nutrition Department.

Enzymes increase the feed efficiency of animals, which better absorb nutrients from food. This efficiency, in addition to improving their growth, improves the general sustainability of animal production, as it contributes to reducing the excretion of nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, minimizing the environmental impact; and requires less food to produce animal protein, reducing the use of land and water to produce raw materials for animal feed.

BASF has been a pioneer and specialist in enzymes for more than 30 years, having a genomic library with more than two million microorganisms. BASF enzyme technology includes enzyme identification, engineering, registration, scale-up, production and formulation. Cargill is in a favorable position in the value chain - with direct interaction with both producers and consumer-minded customers. Direct relationships with producers allow Cargill to develop solutions that provide economic and environmental benefits that are fundamental to its operations. Both companies therefore share a joint bond and at the same time complement each other in their efforts to be leaders in the field of enzyme feed solutions across the world.

“By combining the research and development expertise, application know-how and broad market reach of BASF and Cargill, we will provide enzyme products and solutions that generate differentiated value for the animal nutrition industry”, says Daniela Calleri, Vice President of Business Management for the Animal Nutrition sector at BASF.

“Building on the successful start of our distribution partnership, we will generate even more value for our customers in the future. They will benefit from innovative enzyme products and solutions, further increasing the use of nutrients from animal feed and improving the overall sustainability of animal production”, says Mariano Berdegue, Director of Technology and Strategic Marketing for Animal Nutrition at Cargill.

Along with the new development agreement, BASF and Cargill also intend to expand their distribution partnerships in the coming months, adding more countries on several continents to the cooperation. This expanded partnership builds on the successful distribution collaboration that both partners have developed in Brazil and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) in recent years.