Cumbrian egg firm showcases best practice
Lakes Free Range Egg Company in Cumbria has been selected by fast-food giant McDonald’s to help launch its Best of Sustainable Supply 2010 initiative, designed to highlight best practice in its supply chain.
The campaign features some 50 different case studies from around the world, including projects with ethical, environmental and economic credentials.
“Our suppliers play a leading role in helping us reach our vision for sustainable supply,” said McDonald’s senior vice-president Doug Gore. “We hope that highlighting these best practices will be a source of inspiration and will help drive progress even more quickly.”
Lakes Free Range Egg Company has been selected to demonstrate high animal welfare in the supply chain. “Modern consumers want to know their eggs are produced by birds that are happy in their environment,” said managing director David Brass. “Our ethos has always been based around aninmal welfare and environmental sustainability.”
For example, the company’s own 48,000 hens, as well as those of its 40 contracted suppliers, live in conditions that exceed the RSPCA’s Freedom Foods standards. Birds have to be reared within 70 miles of the laying farms, stocking is limited to 1000 hens per hectare, all buildings have natural ventilation, at least 20% of the ranging area is planted with trees and all farms have to have biodiversity action plans.
“Work at the Lakes in the last two to three years has resulted in significant improvement in feather score and the associated beneficial effect that has on animal welfare,” said Mr Brass. “Science has shown that well-feathered birds experience less stress, lower disease levels and better production.”
Lakes Free Range Egg Company is already a McDonald’s European Flagship Farm and Mr Brass is a previous Farmers Weekly Poultry Farmer of the Year.
Other examples of good practice highlighted in the McDonald’s Best of Sustainable Supply 2010 initiative include Arla Foods “healthier dairy calves” project in the UK, a pastoral care programme for employees of Tyson Foods in the USA and research into the humane slaughter of animals by OSI and Husi Foods in China.