As identified by the American Planning Association, ensuring a sustainable and healthy food system requires several components:

• Promotion of good health
• Environmentally sustainable production
• Environmentally resilient production
• Diversified producers and consumers
• Economical fairness
• Transparent system

So what does sustainable food production mean on a practical level? It serves as a renewable source of healthy food with lower exposure to chemicals and antibiotics, while providing sustainable livelihoods for food producers. Promoting good health through production and consumption increases the quality of lifelong health. This cycle positively impacts local and global economies through better healthcare and employment opportunities. The nutritional impacts of healthy and sustainable production and consumption extend beyond what we put into our bodies- it impacts how we feel mentally, physically and emotionally.

At a global level, this production and consumption cycle is critical to improving living conditions of the poor and malnourished. By teaching local farmers innovative and sustainable methods of food production and using resources available to them, farmers can provide healthy options at affordable prices to their communities. This provides economic opportunity while improving the health of those who previously may not have had access to healthy foods.

We all have the power to make a positive change in the world. At BRI, we call it the “Big Green Chicken Initiative.” Read more about how we are a leader finding innovative solutions to meet the needs of the world.

There are a few reasons for this. First, a lack of access to healthy foods results in either poor nutritional choices or an absence of food altogether. Poverty has a significant influence on food choices. Many high poverty neighborhoods in the United States lack access to a grocery store with healthy food options, which are generally more expensive. However, they do have access to cheap, processed, high fat and high caloric snack and fast foods, according to this report from the US Department of Agriculture (http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/September08/Features/ObesityCountries.htm).

In fact, during a recent visit to the Inter-faith Food Shuttle (www.foodshuttle.org), we were told that hunger in America actually looks like obesity as a result of the access to cheap, high caloric foods.

Second, many poorer countries are in a food deficit, leading to under-nutrition. It would be a mistake to generalize obesity and under-nutrition problems as existing mutually exclusive of one another.  In many developing countries, the two exist side by side where those with access to resources are purchasing new processed foods that have entered the global food chain and those without access are hungry.

Malnutrition is bigger than hunger or famine related issues – it is also an excess of high calorie and high fat foods. A part of the solution is to make high protein, nutrient dense foods available. And do you know what fits that description? Chickens! Read about how our partnership with Novus International (http://www.briworldwide.com/growing-healthier-bigger-chickens/) is helping to feed the world affordable and wholesome foods.

The current list for 2012 contains 66 countries. The complete list is available at the FAO link cited above. The countries one might expect are on the list: Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Haiti, but there are also ones you might be surprised by: India, the Philippines, Egypt, and Indonesia, for example. The good news is this is a drop from 70 in 2011.  However, the reality is that there is still much that needs to be done to fight hunger and poverty around the world. While the need is great and we as a company can only do our small part, we remain committed to doing things that support both the local and global community.

At BRI, we support organizations that are making a difference in the community through unique and effective means. At a local level we support the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, a Raleigh-based non-profit organization that redistributes perishable foods in the local community. On the global level we support Heifer International, a US-based group working with communities around the world to end hunger and poverty through the gifts of livestock and training.  As we start the new year, please consider joining us in support of one of these organizations or one that you think could make an impact in your own community or around the globe.

Said BRI CEO Dr. Giles Shih, “It is a pleasure and privilege to be a sponsor of the Taste of Hope Gala for the second year in a row. The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle plays such a critical role in fighting hunger in the local community by redistributing perishable food and ensuring schoolchildren have adequate nutrition through their Backpack Buddies program.”

BRI’s passion is feeding the world healthy sustainable food, through a focus on harnessing technology to improve people’s lives and livelihoods every day. The company develops innovative products that improve poultry and swine nutrition in a cost-efficient manner while reducing the environmental impact of those farm operations.

According to BRI CEO Dr. Giles Shih, “We are excited to be able to share our latest research findings at the International Poultry Scientific Forum. Some potential customers of our feed enzymes have asked if BRI’s novel proteases are compatible with other feed enzymes such as phytase. We are glad to be able to present our latest research that shows our innovative enzymes play well with other enzymes.”

BRI’s passion is feeding the world healthy sustainable food, through a focus on harnessing technology to improve people’s lives and livelihoods every day. The company develops innovative products that improve poultry and swine nutrition in a cost-efficient manner while reducing the environmental impact of those farm operations.

This is the 63rd annual Expo, which attracted over 20,000 attendees in 2011. According the IPE website, the “show is the world’s largest display of technology, equipment, supplies, and services used in the production and processing of poultry and eggs and for those involved in feed manufacturing.”

Consider that 7 billion people now inhabit the earth, and that number is rising. The amount of waste being generated is continuing to grow. It can be found on city streets and in the ocean. Plastic bags are visible in American landfills and blowing across African plains like tumbleweed. As a global community, we need more innovative solutions to waste management problems, whether they be focused on the front end of the waste stream with recyclable and biodegradable materials, or on the back end with waste to energy projects such as biomass and biogas energy.

The waste problem is complex and multi-layered, and thus so are the solutions. As we continue to research and learn, we must always be aware of the challenges and opportunities. At BRI developing sustainable innovation to meet industry challenges is one of our core values. In fact, the foundational technology behind BRI’s first enzyme products was derived from groundbreaking waste management research by BRI Co-founder Dr. Jason Shih over 30 years ago. Read more about the story of BRI’s founding and how a holistic approach to farming has been core driver of our innovation.

Also, be sure to read our interview with Dr. Mike Williams, NC State University’s Director of the Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center.

Already we have seen the havoc around the globe as a result of competition for energy resources like oil. As the global population grows, its impact on the environment will be substantial. Water and energy resources are becoming increasingly limited and fears of a sustainable supply increase. Greenhouse gases and global warming dominate world headlines. There are many issues the world faces as the population grows.

Consider for a moment how access to water and energy is also critical to the world food supply. One might ask, “How can food production keep up with the world’s population without overburdening the water and energy supply?” Simply stated, technology and innovation will need to lead the way. Just as the “Green Revolution” introduced improved agriculture production around the world in the 1960’s through the development of high-yield grains and improved agricultural practices, our current situation calls for a “Second Green Revolution” to help meet the global demands for food and fuel. This revolution will need to embrace the latest scientific advances in order to develop, on the plant side, higher yielding crops with various beneficial traits, and on the animal side, optimization of the nutrition and genetics of livestock animals.

At BRI we believe there is not one solution that meets all the needs of an ever changing world, but with our innovative enzyme technologies, we are doing our part in, as Steve Jobs famously espoused, “making a dent in the universe.”

BRI was also a corporate sponsor for a charity concert organized by Band Together to benefit Alliance Medical Ministries (www.alliancemedicalministry.org). Alliance Medical Ministries works to meet the health care needs for thousands of uninsured or under-insured Triangle residents.

In 2011, BRI announced our support of Heifer International (www.Heifer.org). Heifer International provides families in impoverished regions of the world with gifts of livestock to help them feed their families and sustain their communities.

1. Rising food costs

As the global population and economies grow, especially in emerging countries, the demand for food drives prices higher. For example, a recent report from the CME group stated that “from January 2002 to their individual peaks in 2008, prices rose more than 250% for corn, nearly 300% for soybeans, 330% for wheat and over 400% for rice (CME, 2010).” While the global economic recession has somewhat abated the meteoric rise of feed grain prices, they still remain high.

2. Rising livestock production costs

According a to a recent USDA report, “agricultural prices are estimated to remain above pre-2006 levels. Over the next decade there will be an increase in demand for grains, oilseed and livestock prod­ucts. Furthermore, energy prices will remain high and biofuel production will continue to grow. These combined factors contribute to higher agriculture prices (USDA, 2010).” And even with the expiration of the federal subsidy for ethanol in the US at the end of 2011, the price of corn will likely remain high due to high demand for feed and food.

One part of the solution: Chickens

“When comparing all sources of protein, poultry is one of the most efficient, economical sources on earth. Poultry will grow at a higher rate than the protein industry as a whole over the next decade because of the lower production cost per kg and the lower consumer price point (Gasperoni & Bentley-Beal, 2010).”

BRI has developed a novel solution for growing healthier and bigger chickens, and remains committed to assisting the poultry production industry reach its full potential. What are some other innovative ways you see for creating greater access to better nutrition for the world?

-Gasperoni, G. & Bentley-Beal, T. (2010). Methionine Global Outlook: The Next Decade. Retrieved from http://www.novusint.com/en/Media-Center/Whitepapers.

-CME, 2010 & USDA, 2010 as cited in Gasperoni & Bentley-Beal, 2010.

The fact of the matter is that scarcity creates competition – a pure example of a limited resource game (albeit an artificial one) is sports – where two (or more) teams compete and only one winner emerges victorious. But what if we could invent a non-limited resource game? That is, a game that actually increases resources (i.e., expand the pie) rather than create competition for the same piece of pie. That would certainly lessen competition and create opportunities for mutual gain. From a business perspective, I am heartened to read about companies that seek to “expand the pie” by replenishing resources rather than simply depleting them. Companies like Starbucks that are creating jobs by funding small business or Tom’s Shoes that donate one pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair of shoes purchased. While you may argue that these are small gestures and have little overall impact, I am hopeful that there is long term shareholder and societal value that is being created by companies willing to step out of the limited resource game.