The experiment, in fact, was launched in 2017 in the Netherlands by Kipster (kip for chicken and ster for star), which wants to give animal welfare all its credentials. “The objective is not to produce as many eggs as possible at the lowest possible price, but to produce them with respect for animals, nature and people.
In any case, it is easy to confront this discourse with reality: the Kipster site allows you to monitor breeding in real time. And it’s true that the henhouse offers space for the hens, which are not crowded on top of each other.
Agroecology: Wallonia must do much more to support the evolution of the agricultural model
But what exactly does that mean, climate neutral eggs? They mainly eat leftovers from bakeries which they pick at as in the past, thereby reducing food waste. Kipster only raises white chickens, which are less greedy than brown chickens and which lay more eggs. The building runs on solar energy. And, at birth, male chickens are not eliminated but raised organically for their meat.
Encourage vocations?
“There are no more durable eggs”underlines Isabelle Colbrandt, spokesperson for Lidl Belgium, who nevertheless regrets not offering eggs produced on a Belgian farm. It’s not for lack of trying over the past five years, since Lidl Belgium began discussions with Kipster. The chain of stores took its pilgrim’s staff to find a farmer in Wallonia and Flanders willing to take part in this project. No one answered the call. “And yet, the producer can be assured that we will buy his entire production because these eggs will be part of our fixed assortment”. The arrival of these eggs, Lidl hopes, will perhaps spark one or another vocation.
It will be the same prices as organic eggs (1.99 euros for six) for these “organic plus” eggs. The packaging is blue in color, to differentiate it from the others. So they come from the Netherlands. “The trucks are hybrid. Lidl Netherlands plans to have electric trucks.
“We point to the environment to divert attention from the real problem”: is it relevant to oppose agriculture and the environment?
Initially, the production of some 24,000 hens from Dutch breeding is reserved for the Belgian market. “This is enough volume to start in Belgium.”. It will be able to adapt to demand and increase to 40,000 laying hens.
For Lidl Belgium, this makes it possible to associate “sustainability and animal welfare”while being well behavedndu “as part of mass production”. “We have to face the facts: commercial breeding that respects animals is practically impossible. We are aware of this. However, we want to offer our animals the best possible life”underlines Ruud Zanders, co-founder of Kipster.
