New team

Trendsetter in animal nutrition

Six colleagues work in the Seed2FEED team on feed solutions for our seed portfolio – with distinction.

Currently undergoing trials: silage and grain corn varieties for cattle feed

Our Seed2FEED team has picked up a major accolade. Its intensive work, with a particular focus on supporting the animal husbandry industry and addressing its challenges, is paying off: In October 2025, the media group Deutscher Fachverlag and a jury from the fodder industry named Andreas von Felde, the team’s head, as “Trendsetter of the Year 2025.” This was the first time that Deutscher Fachverlag has bestowed this title on a personality who shapes the fodder industry with innovativeness, exemplary leadership and groundbreaking approaches. The team aims to keep on living up to this role and continuously intensify dialogue with all stakeholders.

Seed2FEED is one of the four Customer-Centric Portfolio teams alongside Value Offer Development, Seedtech and Digital Farming Solutions and acts as an international interface between seed innovation and practical feed solutions. The department leverages KWS’ broad seed portfolio – including sugarbeet, hybrid rye and silage corn – for strategies that increase feed efficiency, promote animal health and improve sustainability in livestock farming.

At present, the six team members are working very intensively on describing KWS’ current high-quality silage and grain corn varieties, whose properties in milk production are now being tested internationally in ring trials. The focus of that is on the digestibility of plant residues and yield per hectare, based on their starch and energy content.

The Seed2FEED department unites markets, crops and animal species.

Driving force for sustainable agriculture

Another aspect relates to silage management, a relevant cross-cutting issue between agronomy and fodder value. Here, Seed2FEED offers advice on the best way to preserve corn and beets.

The topic of sustainability is also firmly entrenched in the strategy. The international team pursues the goal of developing resource-conserving feed solutions that meet both ecological and economic requirements. The department sees itself as a driving force for sustainable agriculture that strikes a balance between animal welfare, the environment and economic efficiency.

Thanks to this integrated, customer-centric approach, Seed2FEED not only strengthens KWS’ position as a reliable partner in livestock farming, but also helps enhance the resilience and efficiency of the entire food system. The department creates demand along the entire value chain – from seed to animal product – and unites markets, crops and animal species in an innovative way.

Seed2FEED has proven innovative and exemplary for the fodder industry – and has won an award for that. The team (from left to right): Christine Dittner, Andreas von Felde (Head), Ulrike Bedenk, Nicole Wackwitz, Claus Heuer and Claudia Reinke.

The Seed2FEED team

Seed2FEED was launched in October 2024 and, by the end of 2024, the multi-crop team was complete. Six colleagues make up the core team and work internationally. The department’s structure is based on three main animal species – pigs, cattle and poultry – and offers specific content and concepts for each of them.

Andreas von Felde

is the Head of Seed2FEED and responsible for the overall strategy and budget, as well as being involved in orientation and implementation of the concepts. Andreas holds a doctorate with a focus on animal breeding and feeding and has 10 years of experience in the international fodder industry. He is also a livestock farmer himself.

Claudia Reinke

is the Team Assistant. She is in charge of organizational matters, is the contact person for media communications and provides valuable support as part of project management.

Ulrike Bedenk

is one of the two Product Managers for cattle feed. An agricultural biologist, she earned her doctorate with a focus on animal nutrition and has since been responsible for everything related to beets in cattle feed at KWS. Her focus in the Seed2FEED team is on the scientific aspects of cattle feed and its evaluation. As part of that and in the further development of products and feeding concepts, she perfectly complements the tasks of her direct teammate in the cattle segment.

Christine Dittner

is the second Product Manager for cattle feed in the team. She is an agricultural scientist specializing in animal nutrition and has deep roots in the Business Unit Corn. In addition to planning and conducting variety trials, she contributes valuable knowledge from many years of practical experience as a feeding consultant to projects relating to corn silage and feed digestibility.

Claus Heuer

is the Product Manager for pig feed. He comes from the field of feed additives and works on projects dealing with the use of various feedstuffs for pigs. In addition, he analyzes and evaluates the sustainability of feeding concepts and feed components. His tasks also include assessing market trends relating to cereals, corn and oilseed rape.

Nicole Wackwitz

is the Product Manager for poultry feed. She holds a doctorate as a veterinarian with a focus on animal nutrition and is establishing a new sub-segment within the team. She supervises projects related to poultry, is searching for new feeding approaches and also handles topics related to sustainable feeding. As befits her profession, she provides background knowledge on animal health and keeps a close eye on animal epidemics.

The team works together with around 30 colleagues worldwide who provide support in animal nutrition consulting, sales or trials in various countries. Andreas von Felde: “We pool our expertise and create synergies so that we can learn from each other and develop better solutions faster.” |

Trendsetter in animal nutrition

Driving force for sustainable agriculture

The Seed2FEED team

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