Boosting domestic feed production with less environmental cost through optimized crop distribution

Global cropland expansion and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are largely driven by the growing demand of animal-sourced food. Thus, options are urgently needed to enhancing feed supply at a low environmental cost. Here we explored a set of scenarios about improving domestic feed supply, using a linear optimization model. Results indicate that the total feed (energy and protein) production may be increased by 18-32% through optimizing the spatial distribution of feed crops across provinces, without additional cropland input. GHG emissions and nitrogen and phosphorus inputs per MJ of produced feed decreased by 18-25%, 18-23%, and 16-21%, respectively. The redistribution strategies provide 10-16% additional animal food, which covers the demand of 195-393 million people. Lastly, we provide suggestions for improving the effectiveness of governmental policies related to spatial planning of crops, so as to alleviate the food-feed competition for cropland and to improve environmental sustainability.