Chicken eggs are popular. And the proportion of organic eggs is continually increasing. But: What does it look like in the companies and is organic really that much better for the climate, environment and animals?

Chicken eggs are popular

Chicken eggs are a popular food. On average, each of us eats 240 eggs a year - as breakfast or scrambled eggs, but also processed into pasta, baked goods, mayonnaise and ready meals. Why not? Beak trimming, cage keeping, killing chicks – all of this is now a thing of the past in Germany. The proportion of organic eggs is even increasing continuously. But can eggs really be enjoyed with a clear (environmental) conscience these days? What can I pay attention to? What does the reality look like in the companies and is organic really better?

Surprisingly low climate impact

The climate impact of eggs is quite low (around 3 kg CO2eq per 1 kg of eggs) - which is amazing for an animal product! According to a FiBL study, the CO2 balance of egg production in Germany could be improved by over 40% using home-grown instead of imported soy.

Nitrate pollution high

In addition, the nitrate input through the hens' excretions plays a role, both for the environment and for the climate: Depending on the design of the open-air areas, the hens hardly move away from the stable building because they have no hiding places in the open area. Nitrate pollution is therefore often particularly high around the stable and can pollute the groundwater and, through the production of nitrous oxide, also the climate. One solution here is mobile stables, which can be moved from time to time. This reduces nitrate pollution and the hens always have fresh areas for pecking, scratching and sand bathing.

What about animal welfare?

There are big differences, especially when it comes to the topic of “animal welfare”. Using the code printed on the egg, I can get a precise idea of ​​the conditions in which the hen whose egg I am eating lives. It should be clear to you that eggs in the supermarket almost exclusively come from factory farming - regardless of whether they are organic, free-range or barn-raised. Animal protection associations criticize any form of farming that keeps chickens on a large scale - including organic ones. Chickens live in a social structure and know their position in the group thanks to the pecking order. But this only works in manageable group sizes, not in mass farming with several thousand chickens. As a result, the animals suffer from stress and often develop behavioral problems, causing them to peck at each other's feathers. This is particularly bad in barn systems, where the hens live tightly packed in the coop and never see daylight. You have to be particularly careful with industrially processed products that contain eggs, because there is no requirement to label which farm the eggs come from. For this reason, eggs from barn or cage farming from abroad are usually processed. If you don't want that, you should avoid products containing eggs or only buy those that also have an organic seal.

Farmer is sometimes better than organic

While in the supermarket the organic egg is actually the minimum (Bioland, Naturland and Demeter are even better), things can look completely different at the weekly market: especially for small producers, the complex and expensive certifications are often not worth it, they get feed from them Farmers next door instead of having to laboriously procure it in organic quality. Therefore, a free-range hen may lead a better, species-appropriate and longer life than her organic sister in a large laying farm.

Source: SWR market check

Also read: (Not only) at Easter: Keep your eyes open when buying eggs


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