Health is a huge outlay in any government’s budget, explains Owen Brennan, chair of Devenish, adding that “almost entirely all of that spend is on cure”.

He suggests that perhaps it is time to redirect that spend to prevention. He says that perhaps it’s also time to consider food not as a commodity but as a conveyor of nutrients which are vital for health, its promotion and the prevention of disease.

Now living in Co Meath, the Co Carlow native and graduate of agricultural science at UCD applies the principles of science to his work and his vision of what Devenish does.

His idea centres on the theory that a business such as Devenish could deliver a 50% reduction in the heart attack and stroke rate in Ireland. He says this could have a huge impact on Government expenditure and indeed on human health.

For a businessman who runs what has become the largest independently owned manufacturer of premix, creep and speciality feed products in the UK, his knowledge on omega-3s, human health and fortified chicken is impressive. He speaks at length about the ability of food to promote good health, and that prevention is always better than cure. His passion for good food is infectious. He says health and nutrition are not in separate bunkers but are linked, with no distinction of where one begins and the other ends.

He explains that omega-3s are polyunsaturated fatty acids, which, as a key part of a balanced diet, help to maintain normal heart, brain and vision function.

Research undertaken in 2013 showed that people with the highest levels of omega-3 had a 40% reduction in cardiovascular-related deaths compared with people with the lowest levels.

He says this gives an idea of the many conditions that could be substantially improved if the prevention could be delivered through a different focus on food. He says this is one example where Devenish is engaged in as a company.

Investing in innovation

Each year, the company spends more than £30m on innovation products.

A huge outlay, by any company’s standards. He regards it as an investment and a foundation for the business both locally and in international markets.

The company’s commitment to research and innovation is backed up by six research facilities, where it works with universities including Queen’s University Belfast, UCD, Harper Adams and the research institute AFBI.

The privately owned company, which provides feed for pigs, poultry, cattle, sheep and horses, as well as pets, has expanded rapidly in the last 20 years, growing from a turnover of £5m with 23 staff to a turnover in excess of £150m and 300 staff. While Devenish headquarters and R&D centres of innovation are strongly rooted in Northern Ireland, it has a global presence. It now has six manufacturing sites across the UK, Ireland and US, as well as offices in Dubai, Uganda, Mexico and India and is exporting to over 25 countries worldwide.

The focus of Brennan’s vision for Devenish is based on the simple concept of the provision of a properly balanced nutrient supply to livestock, which in turn provides a properly balanced nutrient supply to people for the benefit of human health. In other words, feeding animals to produce superior healthier foods for the consumers of agricultural products.

Commoditised food

He says that the food sector is dominated by a food commodity outlook. He quotes Warren Buffet’s definition of what commodity really means: “In a commodity market, the cheapest price will always prevail in the longer term.” When something is exclusively focused on price, it is generally fair to say you will always pay for what you get. But he questions if you will always get what you pay for?

He says that current human diets on a population-wide basis are not balanced in their nutrient supply.

A huge reason for this is the short-term and often shortsighted and almost singular focus on price, according to Brennan.

He believes that the short-term saving in terms of the direct cost of the food item has long-term consequences which far outweigh any potential saving on the cost of the food item. This is even before the human cost of the health consequence which arises is taken into consideration.

He points to the opportunity for an industry that can produce better-quality food, as there are almost three billion people worldwide who are malnourished.

This figure includes approximately 700m to 800m people who are undernourished and close to two billion who are clinically obese or overweight globally.

It is not commonly understood that a person who is overweight at a clinical level is actually just as malnourished as a person who is underweight.

Today, food production has to meet exacting standards in issues such as quality, safety, sustainability, environmental impact, animal health and welfare according to Brennan.

He says that these standards have to be met and eventually surpassed in a context of increasing competitiveness, global trade, economic and political pressures.

He adds that the main thrust of their innovation programme “is to come up with ways of helping our customers be successful, by enhancing their productivity and profitability while meeting their customer requirements”.

This focus led to the development of the world’s first naturally enriched omega-3 chicken. Working in partnership with upmarket UK supermarket retailer Waitrose and its chicken supplier Moy Park, Devenish developed the innovative food product.

The project came about as a result of concerns within the medical community that consumers were not including enough sources of omega-3 in their diets, particularly children, who often do not like oily fish.

To help improve intake, the idea was conceived of developing a more popular protein containing a source of omega-3.

He says that what’s exciting is that it is improving the nutritional content of something which customers already consume frequently as part of their diets.

The chicken is enriched by feeding the birds on a diet containing an algae which is naturally rich in omega-3. The taste and appearance of the chicken is the same as birds reared on a conventional diet.

No doubt getting the supplement from chicken, which is the UK’s most popular meat, as part of a normal diet could provide enormous health advantages.

Even Patrick Wall, Professor of Public Health at University College Dublin, has stated that he believes this is going to revolutionise nutrition.

The 2017Irish Farmers Journal/KPMG Agribusiness report entitled Agricultural Thinking: inside the minds of global agri leaders comes free with this week's Irish Farmers Journal.

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