The California Department of Food and Agriculture says the feed industry diverted more than 18.5 million tons of byproducts from human food, fiber and biofuel production to livestock feed last year.
Byproducts include canola meal, cotton seed, almond hulls, distiller’s grains, bakery byproducts, and culled fruits and vegetables.
CDFA also says processing fruits, nuts and other kinds of crops grown in California creates various byproducts, such as fruit pulp, almond hulls, brewer’s grains and other products not eaten by people.
But livestock can utilize the remaining nutritional value of these byproducts.
For example, more than 85% of what cattle consume is feeds that humans can’t, including by-products and forages.
