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Publication
Environmental Impacts of Egg Production from a Life Cycle Perspective
Journal Contribution - Journal Article
The food industry represents a vast environmental burden to our planet. Most animal
products are known to have greater environmental impacts than alternative plant-based sources of
nutrition. One of the most consumed animal products are eggs, represented in most dietary habits
both as a primary ingredient and processed. In the European Union (EU), eggs for consumption can
be produced in four different laying systems: enriched cages, barns, free-range, and organic. In past
years, discussions about the ethical perspective have been ongoing among the wider public, industry
and academia. However, the essential comparison of environmental impacts of the laying systems
has been missing in our region. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an excellent tool for comparing
environmental impacts of various scenarios. Therefore, we performed a LCA of several egg-producing
subjects in the Czech Republic, representative of all four laying systems. In addition, these regulated
laying systems were compared to a community garden system. Our results suggest feed conversion
ratio (FCR), feed composition, and manure management to be the most important factors influencing
the total environmental impacts of eggs. Moreover, environmental benefits linked to outdoor access
or using organic feed over conventional were observed in our study.
Journal: Agriculture
ISSN: 2077-0472
Issue: 3
Volume: 12
Publication year:2022
Accessibility:Open