Bridging Science, Strategy, and Sustainability in Animal Nutrition — with Erik Visser of Hamlet Protein
What if the biggest lever for sustainable protein isn’t on the farm or in the lab—but in the first weeks of an animal’s life?
In this episode of Industry Ignited, Dr. Leeanne Aguilar sits down with Erik Visser, CEO of Hamlet Protein, a global leader in soy-based specialty proteins for young animal feed. With decades of experience leading international feed and additive businesses, Erik shares how he’s built bridges between science, commerce, and culture to turn technical insight into commercial success.
From Policy to Protein: A Strategic Shift
Trained in law and political science, Erik never set out to work in animal nutrition—but curiosity drew him into an industry where science meets strategy. He quickly learned that the biggest challenge isn’t developing great technical ideas—it’s translating them into real-world value.
“Creating winning strategies,” Erik explains, “means taking innovation from inward-looking exploration to outward execution.” That requires not just smart products, but sharp positioning, storytelling, and leadership that align teams and investors toward a shared goal.
People Before Process
Erik’s leadership philosophy is deeply rooted in human connection. Having lived and worked across Latin America, Europe, and now Denmark, he credits much of his success to adaptability and empathy.
“You can’t lead globally if you don’t listen locally,” he says. Whether working in emerging markets or integrating acquisitions, Erik emphasizes servant leadership and psychological safety—environments where people feel safe to speak up and innovate.
“When people trust you,” he adds, “they’ll pick up the phone for you at five o’clock on a Friday.”
Smart Nutrition Starts Early
At Hamlet Protein, that philosophy translates to product innovation, too. Their specialty soy-based proteins focus on early-life nutrition—helping piglets, chicks, and calves build a strong foundation for health and growth.
By reducing the anti-nutritional factors in soy, Hamlet Protein creates feed that’s highly digestible and palatable, setting animals up for long-term success. “A good start makes all the difference,” Erik explains. “Just like with humans, what happens in the early stages defines performance later in life.”
Balancing Global Consistency with Local Agility
With production facilities in Denmark and Ohio, Hamlet Protein optimizes its global supply chain to stay resilient amid tariffs, logistics challenges, and shifting energy costs.
The result: consistent quality worldwide—with flexibility to adjust for local efficiencies and sustainability requirements.
That flexibility also helps the company meet new environmental regulations, such as Europe’s Deforestation-Free Supply Chain (EUDR), without losing competitiveness. “We support sustainability,” Erik says, “but we have to move smartly to avoid pricing customers out of the market.”
AI, Efficiency, and the Future of Feed
Feed represents up to 70% of total animal production costs, so efficiency is everything. Erik sees promise in the convergence of AI, data, and precision nutrition, but warns that no technology replaces strong fundamentals.
“You can throw the best feed at your animals,” he says, “but without good farm management and biosecurity, you’ll never reach peak performance.”
AI, however, is already accelerating research—helping Hamlet Protein’s teams find insights in minutes that once took days. It’s a tool, Erik says, “but the business is still about people.”
Sustainability Through Efficiency
For Erik, sustainability and profitability go hand in hand. “If you can produce more with less,” he says, “you lower your carbon footprint.” That’s why Hamlet Protein focuses on measurable outcomes like feed conversion, weight gain, and mortality rate—metrics that prove efficiency can drive both environmental and economic impact.
Open Knowledge, Shared Progress
One of Hamlet Protein’s core values is “Value Through Knowledge.” Erik believes the industry advances faster when companies share what they know.
“By sharing data and research,” he says, “we raise the standard for everyone.”
That openness, however, still faces resistance in a competitive market. “People guard data because they see it as an advantage,” he admits, “but collaboration is how we’ll truly innovate.”
Relationships That Drive Results
After decades in global agribusiness, Erik’s message to new leaders is simple: relationships come first.
“This is still a boots-on-the-ground industry,” he says. “No one’s buying feed additives off a website. You need to build trust, show consistency, and deliver real results.”
In a world where innovation and regulation evolve daily, Hamlet Protein’s success proves that leadership rooted in empathy and excellence can bridge science and sustainability—and feed a growing planet responsibly.
Listen to the full episode.
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