"

Here is the list of related supply chains that in some way contribute to the 'Industrial Egg', that the research illuminated:

    - agribusiness feed production, including the fishing fleet

    - shipping and trucking transport, 

    - warehousing, 

    - fuel and power production, 

    - mining, steel works, 

    - chemicals, 

    - infrastructures,

    - supermarkets, 

    - storage, packaging, 

    - marketing, 

    - finance, 

    - advertising and 

    - insurance industries, 

    - waste removal and dumping, 

    - computers, 

    - a commuting workforce, and 

    - highly trained technicians. 

    - 

According to their research, production of the industrial egg also involves damage to ecosystems, especially via emissions and agribusiness effects, including non-return of nutrients to soils.

On the flip side, eggs supplied via integrated village cooperatives can avoid almost all of these costs, while providing benefits such as enabling immediate use of all “wastes”. 

They say...

Recycling of household, garden and animal pen “wastes” along with free ranging can more or less meet poultry nutrient needs for the associated settlement amount of egg demand. In the process these inputs to compost heaps, methane digesters, algae and fishponds and aquaculture systems can replace imports of several food items and eliminate the need for fertilizer inputs to village food production. No transport need be involved. The labour need not be paid in money and maintenance of systems can be largely informal via spontaneous discussion and action, for instance within poultry cooperatives. In addition, cooperative care of poultry and similar systems adds to amenity and leisure resources and facilitates community bonding.

The industrial egg probably won't be disappearing anytime soon, but there are some insights, perhaps principles, that we might want to consider when redesigning new systems or re-configuring existing ones for the future:

• simpler might be better in the long run
• eliminate processes that use materials and energy where possible 
• reduce ongoing maintenance
• reduce overhead costs
• become increasingly local, from end to end

Probably one of the reasons we don't yet experience the true cost of industrial eggs (along with thousands of other products) is because current energy and resource inputs have been so cheap. To date, we have been able to take cheap energy for granted. 

How many other examples can you think of that involve technology and processes that could be simpler and cheaper as energy and resource inputs increase in price? Let us know your thoughts!

And if you missed a similar previous article - Why Local food is Good -click through here and learn more about the system the system behind the everyday 'Can of Sardines'.