Organic eggs have worse impact on climate than eggs from caged chickens

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/29/organic-eggs-climate-caged-chickens-carbon-emissions-environment

10 points · 7 comments · view on lemmy.world

7 Comments

eleijeep@piefed.social · 18 pts · 43d

Free-range humans have a worse impact on the climate than caged humans.

Has anyone asked the chickens for their opinion?

RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 12 pts · 43d

What next, "combine harvesters have worse impact on climate than slavery"?

okwithmydecay@leminal.space · 12 pts · 43d (2 replies)

I stumbled upon this article, after George Monbiot posted about it:

It's a point I've been trying to make for a long time: there is no good way to meet even 10% of current demand for animal products. They trash the living world, whichever way you do it. If you want to reduce your impact, switch to a plant-based diet

FishFace@piefed.social · 5 pts · 43d (1 reply)

I stopped reading Monbiot ages ago because he had some remarkably dumb takes (which I've now forgotten, shamefully).

I would rewrite this one as, "if you want to reduce your impact, reduce the amount of animal products you eat, including meat, eggs, and dairy." I will never be a vegan, and for a long time I never even considered that people might reduce their meat consumption if they didn't go fully vegetarian, nor reduce their animal product consumption if they didn't go fully vegan.

okwithmydecay@leminal.space · 1 pts · 43d

I would rewrite this one as, “if you want to reduce your impact, reduce the amount of animal products you eat, including meat, eggs, and dairy.”

Whilst you've said you'll never become a vegan, do you disagree with this statement? Whilst tackling climate change is a collective problem, and not one solved through individual lifestyle choices, it needs to be acknowledged that all animal products have a carbon footprint

Babalugats@feddit.uk · 9 pts · 43d

This is because organic free-range models need more chickens for the same number of eggs produced, as birds living in cages tend to be more efficient.

But.. and I am just spitballing here.. Isn't it very possible that 'birds "living" in cages' overproduce?

There is, very possibly a shitload of wasted eggs that aren't used or needed.

"Living" in cages also reduces protein and other vitamins that are naturally occuring if we are to believe all of the articles like this one.

So, while 1000 free-range chickens mightn't produce the same amount of eggs as a 1000 caged chickens, I am still not sure how that makes them a worse impact on the environment. It honestly sounds like a paid-for study.

MisterDeutsch@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 43d

I had to read a lot of paragraphs before they mentioned the study’s source and weak points. Thanks, School of Enterprise and the Environment. You sound like your funding depended on this study.