Institute for Feed Education and Research

What Institute for Feed Education and Research does

IFEEDER is a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2010 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that conducts research and education for the U.S. animal feed and pet food industry. It is the only public charity dedicated to the entire U.S. animal food value chain, producing sustainability frameworks, toolkits, and peer-reviewed research reports rather than commercial products. Its core deliverables include the Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit (a multi-stage 'crawl, walk, run' resource for feed manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, grain processors, and equipment makers), the Sustainability Road Map framework, and a portfolio of research projects on topics ranging from feed ingredient life cycle assessments and GM-free feed impacts to African swine fever feed mill decontamination, dairy enteric methane mitigation, and pork production nutrient cycles. The organization is governed by an industry-executive Board of Trustees led by a President & CEO (Constance Cullman) and an Executive Director (Lara Moody), with research operations supported by a small staff of 1-10 employees.

IFEEDER's technology is essentially a content-and-framework stack delivered via its website and AFIA's Online Store: research reports, toolkits, webinars, the IFEEDER Fodder blog, the Project Warehouse submission portal, and resources co-developed with partners including The Context Network, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, and UC Davis's CLEAR Center. The toolkit includes standardized materiality assessment frameworks, LCA process guidance, decision trees, and industry case studies organized into People/Planet/Governance pillars.

The business model is donation-driven: 100% of corporate and individual contributions go to research, education, and sustainability programs; the toolkit and reports are free for AFIA members and IFEEDER donors, with non-members purchasing access through AFIA's Online Store. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on AFIA member engagement, multi-tier donor cultivation (Chairman's through Friend levels), industry events such as the Feed Systems Sustainability Summit, and academic and checkoff-board co-funding partnerships.

Name

Institute for Feed Education and Research

Legal name

Institute for Feed Education and Research

Website

https://ifeeder.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IFEEDER is a 501(c)(3) public charity that conducts research and education for the U.S. animal feed and pet food industry, producing sustainability toolkits, LCA resources, and research reports funded by corporate and individual donations and distributed primarily through AFIA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Feed Industry Research and Education

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (115210), Support Activities for Animal Production (1152), Support Activities for Animal Production (11521)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Livestock & Poultry Nutrition (Feed & Premixes) (HLAMAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animal Nutrition & Feeding Support Services (On-Farm Feeding, Feed Management) (AFAEALAJ), Performance & Health Outcome Consulting (growth, FCR, milk yield, gut health) (AFADAMAG)

Keywords

• Animal feed research
• Feed industry sustainability
• Pet food education
• Life cycle assessment
• Agricultural supply chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) public charity, IFEEDER's primary revenue comes from corporate and individual donations and grants. The organization has a diverse donor base including companies at various levels (Chairman's, Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Friend). All donations (100%) go toward supporting research, education and sustainability initiatives.
2. Toolkit Sales (Non-members): The Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit is free for AFIA members and IFEEDER donors, but available for purchase to non-members through AFIA's Online Store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IFEEDER conducts pre-competitive research, develops sustainability toolkits and frameworks, and produces educational resources for the U.S. animal feed and pet food industry. Its flagship deliverable, the Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit, provides feed manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, pet food producers, and equipment makers with practical LCA, materiality, and sustainability resources organized in a 'crawl, walk, run' approach. The organization also funds and publishes industry research reports, hosts webinars, runs the biennial Feed Systems Sustainability Summit, and operates a Project Warehouse for collaboration with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA).

Product overview

IFEEDER is a 501(c)(3) public charity conducting research and education for the U.S. animal feed and pet food industry. Its offerings include the Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit (a multi-stage resource for companies at any sustainability level), the Sustainability Road Map (strategic framework for industry sustainability), and various research reports on feed ingredient lifecycle assessments, GM-free feed impacts, African swine fever decontamination, and pork production nutrient cycles. Education offerings include webinars, the IFEEDER Fodder Blog, newsletter, scholarships, and partnerships with the CLEAR Center and Protein PACT. IFEEDER also maintains a Project Warehouse for industry project submissions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit Comprehensive sustainability toolkit providing practical tools, resources, and insights for companies at any stage of their sustainability journey, organized in a 'crawl, walk, run' approach. Includes LCA resources, materiality assessment guidance, industry case studies, and strategic planning materials for U.S. animal food industry companies.
• Sustainability Road Map Adaptable strategic framework guiding animal food companies on their sustainability journeys, customizable to each organization's vision, mission, values, and culture. Includes strategic objectives for data management, sustainability research, LCAs, and educational resources.
• Feed Systems Sustainability Summit Biennial industry summit convening members across the feed value chain to address sustainability barriers and opportunities, partnered with WWF-US in 2022.
• GM-Free Feed Research Report Research examining the environmental and economic implications of producing non-GM feed, showing impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, handling requirements, and consumer food prices.
• ASF Feed Mill Decontamination Study Kansas State University-led study evaluating methods for cleaning and disinfecting feed mills following a potential African swine fever outbreak, testing infectivity of feed and environmental samples after flushing and decontamination procedures.
• Advancing Feed Ingredient Life Cycle Assessments Project One-year project (October 2023) funded by the United Soybean Board to assess and advance methods for developing robust LCA datasets for feed ingredients; led by IFEEDER with Iowa State University and the Global Feed LCA Institute.
• IFEEDER Webinars Series of webinars featuring industry leaders and academic experts discussing sustainability forces influencing the marketplace, including topics on defining sustainability, downstream expectations, agricultural carbon markets, LCAs, and sustainable protein systems.
• IFEEDER Monthly Newsletter Monthly email newsletter providing roundup of IFEEDER posts, progress updates, and insights from donors and partners.
• IFEEDER Fodder Blog Blog featuring posts on IFEEDER projects, sustainability topics, and industry insights written by IFEEDER staff and guest contributors.
• IFEEDER Project Warehouse Centralized platform for collecting and evaluating high-impact research, education, and sustainability project ideas that advance the feed and pet food industries, with downloadable templates and evaluation forms for project submission from AFIA committees.
• IFEEDER Scholarships Scholarship programs supporting education and workforce development in the animal food industry.
• Vitamin & Amino Acid Supply Chain Report Industry research report analyzing the U.S. vitamin and amino acid supply chain serving the animal food industry.
• Feed Ingredient Consumption Report Industry report providing updated data on feed ingredient consumption patterns for the U.S. animal food industry, supporting market analysis and policy work.
• Pet Food Report Research publication providing data and analysis on the U.S. pet food industry for use by manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and policy stakeholders.
• Improving Pork Production LCAs Research IFEEDER-funded project studying the nutrient cycle across the pork ecosystem to improve LCA data for pork production systems and feed ingredient contributions.
• Swine Nutrient Requirements (12th Edition) Report Development project for the 12th Edition of the Nutrient Requirements of Swine report, a foundational reference for swine nutrition and feed formulation in the U.S. industry.
• Advancing Dairy Emission Reductions Research IFEEDER-funded research examining dietary interventions to mitigate enteric methane emissions in dairy cattle and other on-farm emission reduction practices for the dairy value chain.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 months of research and development invested in the initial Sustainability Toolkit
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022IFEEDER partnered with WWF-US to develop the Feed Systems Sustainability Summit in 2022, bringing together approximately 40 diverse members across the animal food industry to address sustainability challenges. The partnership focused on four critical components: circularity, innovation, regenerative agriculture, and responsible sourcing. WWF subsequently published a white paper 'Solutions to Meet the Need for Feed' highlighting summit outcomes.
• Iowa State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Iowa State University partnered with IFEEDER to conduct the GM-free feed research study examining environmental and economic implications of non-GM feed production. Researchers examined several environmental indicators and modeled handling differentiated product streams. ISU also worked on the Feed Ingredient LCA project.
• The Context NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021IFEEDER worked with The Context Network to develop the Sustainability Road Map project and Animal Food Industry Sustainability Toolkit. The partnership involved conducting stakeholder interviews, developing LCA resources, and creating industry guidance materials. The Context Network continues to work with IFEEDER on Phase 2 of the Sustainability Road Map project.
• Decision Innovation SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnered with IFEEDER and Iowa State University to conduct the GM-free feed research examining environmental and economic implications of non-GM feed production for the U.S. animal food industry.
• Kansas State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Kansas State University led an IFEEDER-funded study evaluating feed mill decontamination methods for African Swine Fever. Research conducted at the university's Cargill Feed Safety Research Center with pilot-scale feed mill and biosafety level 2 pathogen capabilities. Testing for infectivity conducted at Iowa State University.
• Swine Health Information CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Co-funded with IFEEDER the ASF Feed Mill Decontamination Study led by Kansas State University. The study evaluates methods for cleaning feed mills following a potential ASF outbreak.
• Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021ANAC co-funded the ASF Feed Mill Decontamination Study and partnered with IFEEDER to expand the Sustainability Road Map scope to include both U.S. and Canada. The association also participated in LCA industry member interviews.
• United Soybean BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021United Soybean Board co-funded the ASF Feed Mill Decontamination Study and is funding the $128,000 Feed Ingredient LCA project led by IFEEDER in collaboration with Iowa State University and the Global Feed LCA Institute.
• Dairy Management Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnered with IFEEDER on the GM-free feed research study to examine environmental and economic implications of non-GM feed production. DMI joined AFIA and other organizations in funding the research.
• National Corn Growers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnered with IFEEDER on the GM-free feed research examining environmental and economic implications of non-GM corn production and handling.
• U.S. Poultry & Egg AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnered with IFEEDER on the GM-free feed research study to examine implications for the poultry industry.
• Protein PACT (North American Meat Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021IFEEDER is a partner in the Protein PACT for the People, Animals & Climate of Tomorrow, the largest-ever effort to strengthen animal protein's contributions to sustainable food security. IFEEDER contributes to feed sustainability road map development that supports Protein PACT goals.
• CLEAR Center (UC Davis)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFEEDER supports the Center for Clarity and Leadership in Environmental Assessment and Research at UC Davis as part of consumer messaging and education efforts.
• Iowa State University - Kurt Rosentrater LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFEEDER worked with Iowa State University students under Professor Kurt Rosentrater to develop the 'Defining Material Issues' resource for the Sustainability Toolkit. Students created content in cooperation with IFEEDER and multiple animal food industry members.
• Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFEEDER is undertaking efforts to support increased availability of U.S. data in GFLI datasets. Working on projects funded by National Pork Board and United Soybean Board to advance feed ingredient and feed additive LCA data.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• The Context Network: An agricultural strategy and management consulting firm that co-developed IFEEDER's Sustainability Toolkit and Sustainability Road Map. Comparable as an ag-focused sustainability consultancy serving the feed and food value chain.
• CLEAR Center (UC Davis): UC Davis research center on environmental assessment and communication for animal agriculture. IFEEDER is a formal partner, and CLEAR Center produces sustainability research and consumer messaging that parallels IFEEDER's education mission.

Direct peers

• Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy: A nonprofit that funds pre-competitive research and sets sustainability goals for the U.S. dairy industry. Operates under a structurally similar nonprofit research/education model and shares donor and sustainability-research DNA with IFEEDER.
• U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef: A multi-stakeholder nonprofit developing sustainability metrics and resources for the U.S. beef value chain. Shares IFEEDER's pre-competitive research, sustainability framework, and stakeholder-collaboration approach, with overlapping donor pools.
• Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI): An international nonprofit focused on advancing feed ingredient life cycle assessment data — a core overlap with IFEEDER's LCA research projects. GFLI and IFEEDER collaborate directly on U.S. data contributions to GFLI's datasets.
• Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR): A U.S. nonprofit research foundation funding innovative science in food and agriculture. FFAR shares IFEEDER's nonprofit, donor-funded research model and pursues pre-competitive agricultural research with public-private funding partnerships.
• Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC): The Canadian feed industry association, which directly partnered with IFEEDER on the Sustainability Road Map and co-funded the ASF Feed Mill Decontamination Study. ANAC serves the same nonprofit research/education role for the Canadian animal feed industry that IFEEDER serves for the U.S.

Broad incumbents

• Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform: An international nonprofit member organization developing sustainable agriculture tools and standards across crops, dairy, and beef. Operates at a broader geographic and commodity scope but shares the nonprofit, member-funded pre-competitive research model.
• American Feed Industry Association (AFIA): The trade association for the U.S. animal feed industry. IFEEDER's leadership is shared with AFIA, its toolkits are distributed through AFIA's online store, and AFIA members form IFEEDER's core donor base — making AFIA the closest institutional partner and de facto peer.

Others

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US): Global conservation nonprofit that partnered with IFEEDER to host the 2022 Feed Systems Sustainability Summit. WWF is not a direct competitor but a comparable large-scale sustainability nonprofit operating across agricultural supply chains.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifeeder

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Feed Education and Research