You will soon be able to buy carbon-neutral eggs at your local Kroger. Grocery giant, The Kroger Co. is now working with Kipster Farms on a carbon-neutral process for egg production. The result, eggs branded under the company’s Simple Truth organic line, will be the first carbon-neutral, cage-free eggs to hit shelves in the United States.
The partnership is one of many sustainability initiatives underway as a part of Kroger’s Environmental, Social and Governance strategy, called Thriving Together.
Thriving Together is committed to creating positive change. This includes a recent new set of sustainability packaging goals, doubling of fair trade sources, an increase in indoor farming, a commitment to work with more local farmers and suppliers, and a Zero Hunger Zero Waste pledge.
“Simple Truth is excited to partner with the innovative team at Kipster to further elevate our brand’s purpose to be a force for good,” said Kroger senior director of Our Brands Brad Studer. “These Simple Truth and Kipster eggs will be produced in a closed-loop system that aligns with the highest health and welfare standards for people and animals. These sustainable, zero-waste eggs reflect yet another milestone in Kroger’s Zero Hunger Zero Waste mission to help create communities free of hunger and waste.”
The Kipster egg system, which began in the Netherlands, is known for the highest chicken welfare standards, offering a natural-like wooded environment and plenty of room for the birds to roam.
The chickens are fed from surplus food from nearby bakeries, minimizing the environmental impacts of animal food sourcing. Additionally, the entire farm is solar-powered.
The company works hard to prevent any pollution from the chickens. Instead, the birds’ waste is upcycled into eggs, meat, and fertilizer. It’s a scalable system that is becoming more popular across the globe.
A similar carbon-neutral egg process is underway in Europe and the United Kingdom. Kipster inspired the Respectful company to replace soy-based chicken feed with insects for carbon-neutral egg production. The insects come directly from a fruit and vegetable processing plant, creating a circular system that decreases a cage-free farm’s carbon footprint by 85 percent. Previously, the soy feed came from South America’s Amazon rainforest and was a significant contributor to deforestation. The process is setting a new standard for how chickens are fed. Insects that replace soybeans, grains, fish, and vegetable oils in chicken feed can be raised near each farm and use very few resources. Insect-fed chickens are healthier, meaning they are more beneficial for human consumption.
Kipster eggs are expected in all Kroger Co. stores by the end of 2022, just one of many ways the Kroger Co. is working to improve waste reduction and sustainability in all facets of its operations.
