Speaker

About the speaker: 

Dr. Rob Kinley started from an Agricultural Chemistry Analytical Technologist (BTech) background at Nova Scotia Agricultural College specialising in food and animal feed and an Analytical Chemist holding a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees in Chemistry and Soil Science from Dalhousie University in Canada. He was awarded his Master of Science (MSc) degree from Dalhousie University with a focus on Environmental Science in Agriculture and Water Quality. Dalhousie University also awarded his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Animal Biology with a focus on dairy cattle and alternative feed additives to enhance productivity and environmental sustainability.

Prior to joining FutureFeed, Rob was a Senior Research Scientist and project leader with CSIRO Agriculture and Food in Townsville QLD, Australia where he characterized macroalgae and microalgae as natural enteric antimethanogenic and productivity enhancing nutritional agents in cattle and sheep production.

As of 2024 Rob has 32 years’ experience including analytical laboratory management, 4 years university lecturer in Environmental Science, 10 years bioresource management, and 18 years environmental and nutritional livestock research in North America, Europe, and Australia.  Work included management of beef and dairy cattle, and sheep, applications involved climate respiration chambers, open path laser methodology, GreenFeed Emissions monitoring, individual pens, group stalls, grazing cattle, and maintaining rumen fistulated animals for in vitro and in vivo research.

He has received several Canadian national research awards (NSERC) for his work in Agriculture, and in 2016 his biotechnology work was selected as a representative of CSIRO Agriculture and Food for the innovation acceleration program (ON-2) where the Asparagopsis seaweed feed material was launched under the name FutureFeed. In 2017 Rob was appointed to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in the Livestock Environmental Performance (LEAP) Partnership as part of the Technical Advisory Group on livestock feed additives.

Company info:

FutureFeed is commercializing the use of Asparagopsis seaweed as a livestock feed ingredient that reduces methane emissions by over 80 per cent. FutureFeed holds the global IP rights to this technology, developed by CSIRO, James Cook University and Meat and Livestock Australia. They deliver supply chain access to our seaweed producers through a variety of licence agreements. They are progressing R&D to confirm the safety and efficacy of Asparagopsis, which in turn is opening regulatory pathways for this technology to be adopted globally.

Presentation: 

There will be an exploration of the status of Asparagopsis seaweed commercialisation by assessing progress and benefits to the red meat and dairy industries with discussion on: (i) up-to-date science on its antimethane capability; (ii) benefits to livestock productivity; (iii) evolution of the global network of Asparagopsis biomass production; and the status and trajectory in the process of regional regulatory approvals for use of Asparagopsis products in livestock feeds will conclude the presentation.