ORGANIC FREE-RANGE EGGS PRODUCE MORE EMISSIONS THAN CAGED, STUDY FINDS

Organic free-range egg production generates approximately 60 per cent higher carbon emissions than eggs from caged chickens, according to research from the University of Oxford. A shift to entirely organic free-range methods would produce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 2,316,000 tonnes of CO2, compared with 1,184,000 tonnes from caged-bird production, the study found. Researchers examined data from UK poultry farms and calculated environmental impacts including greenhouse gas emissions, land use and water pollution. The findings were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

The research, led by Dr Harriet Bartlett at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, identified the reasons for the disparity. Organic free-range chickens lay eggs less efficiently than caged birds, meaning more birds are required to produce the same quantity of eggs. The study also found that chicken mortality rates were highest in organic free-range farming, with greater exposure to disease, injuries and feather pecking potentially contributing to higher death rates. Organic free-range methods were found to be worse for water pollution and land occupation alongside their increased carbon footprint.

Dr Bartlett stated that the research "highlights the importance of considering animal welfare, environmental impact and food production together when shaping the future of egg farming." The study used poultry farm data collected between 2009 and 2010, and the authors acknowledged that farming practices have advanced in the intervening 16 years. The researchers emphasised that awareness of trade-offs between animal welfare and environmental impact would inform better decision-making for both the environment and animal welfare.