Animals are Being Fed Candy by Farmers

Every Halloween, Americans spend billions on candy, but not all of it ends up in trick-or-treat bags. Despite massive sales, the candy industry produces a significant surplus, leading to some candy being fed to farm animals. The practice, dating back years, has been increasingly marketed as a “sustainable” way to combat waste, but questions about its environmental and ethical implications remain.

Farmers sometimes use candy waste as a feed alternative when corn prices rise, as the sugar content helps with livestock digestion. Chocolate and leftover candy bits are seen as a cost-effective substitute for traditional feed. Major meat companies like Cargill call this “upcycling,” a strategy they claim benefits the planet and livestock alike. Yet, while the financial gains for both candy and meat producers are evident, some farmers and food waste experts are critical. Minnesota farmer Lauren Kiesz denounces the practice, emphasizing the stark nutritional difference between natural grass and chemical-laden candy.

Meanwhile, animal welfare groups express concerns about the health impact on pigs, though some industry sources argue that adding candy waste to pig diets doesn’t harm the quality of the meat. For most farmers, animal feed is their biggest expense, so cheaper ingredients like candy waste present an attractive solution, boosting profits.

The topic caught public attention in 2017 when a truckload of red Skittles spilled on a Wisconsin highway. While these Skittles were reportedly headed for animal feed, the candy manufacturer, Mars, denied involvement. Yet companies like Hershey have openly partnered with Cargill to repurpose candy waste, calling it a “sustainability partnership.” Critics like Kiesz and researchers like Dr. Kathryn Bender of the University of Delaware argue that this approach may reduce landfill waste but doesn’t address the root problem: the overproduction of candy and high-fructose corn syrup.

The corn industry lies at the heart of this issue. Heavily subsidized and overproduced, dent corn (used for animal feed and high-fructose corn syrup) feeds into a system where waste is absorbed rather than minimized. Tammara Soma, a researcher at Simon Fraser University, explains that this endless cycle of commodified corn and sugar leads to surplus candy, which industrial-scale farming then consumes, creating a convenient, profit-driven feedback loop.

Dr. Bender and Soma stress the need for systemic change. While feeding candy to livestock may be a creative use of waste, it doesn’t solve the broader issues of agricultural inefficiency and overproduction. Soma suggests that without relying on industrialized animal farming to absorb candy waste, society could be forced to question why animals need processed candy and confront the sheer volume of waste created.

In essence, the industrial food system’s emphasis on profitability and monoculture comes at a significant environmental cost. It’s a complex problem with no easy answers, but one thing is clear: true sustainability requires more than just repurposing waste—it demands reducing it.

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Related Content:

• 7 Creative Uses for Leftover Halloween Candy
• Halloween Done Sustainably: How to Cut Down on Packaging, Waste, and Woe
• 10 Non-Candy Basket Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Easter
• How Candy Makers Are Planning to Recycle Candy Packaging This Halloween

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