The Guardian reports on Morrison’s announcement of its first-ever “carbon-neutral” eggs range.
The supermarket chain is providing an environment-friendly egg range by feeding their hens insects, who are raised on the food waste from the company’s supermarkets.
These trails are a part of Morrison’s initiative to make their British farms zero-emissions by 2030.
The technology is supplied by Better Origin – a Cambridge-based startup. The tech company have equipped some of Morrison’s egg suppliers with containers of insect “mini-farms”.
Hens have traditionally had insect-based diets. But, due to the industrial expansion of the food industry, soy feed has become more common.
Soy farming has been linked to large-scale deforestation in places such as the Brazilian Amazon.
As well as, controversies regarding the pollution from soy that is shipped from distances.
The farms that supply Morrisons carbon-neutral eggs will use wind turbines, solar panels, planting of trees to offset their emissions.
Insects have long been encouraged to be adopted into western diets by experts, due to their lower carbon footprint than meat farming.
Research has suggested that incorporating insects into food production processes, like Better Origin’s technology, could be a more effective way to lower carbon emissions.
Sainsbury’s – one of Morrison’s top competitor stocks a carbon-neutral eggs range, however, the hens are fed with field beans rather than insects.
Sophie Throup, head of agriculture at Morrisons told the Guardian that the eggs were the first carbon neutral products for Morrisons and plans to expand the range to some of their other products.
Throup said “We know that customers consider the environmental impact of the food they eat and want affordable zero-emission produce”.
Initially, the eggs will be available to customers in 50 Yorkshire stores, alongside one in Essex, at the cost of £1.50 for half a dozen.
