09.07.2010

Dr Imke de Boer, an associate professor at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, presented in a recent study her findings on egg production systems and carbon footprint. A carbon footprint quantifies the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) along the entire life-cycle of a product. The main GHGs related to animal production are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Dr de Boer showed that of the four main egg production systems: cage, barn, free-range and organic, the cage system has the lowest carbon footprint. When calculating carbon footprint, Dr de Boer’s study factored in the entire life-cycle of egg production, taking into consideration the feed process, the rearing of pullets, transportation requirements, as well as the actual egg farm production methods. Egg production has a lower carbon footprint than beef and pork production and, within the egg industry, barn and free-range systems have the highest carbon footprint, and cage production the lowest.