Incredible, sustainable eggs
As the nation’s population—and its demand for food—continue to grow, MSU researchers are using a $6 million grant to improve the sustainability of egg production in the United States.
The findings could hatch big changes for the egg industry. Michigan is a top ten state for producing eggs, and in 2010 more than 91 billion eggs were produced nationwide, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture.
The three-year grant, which was awarded by the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply and will be shared with the University of California, Davis, will study the sustainability of laying-hen housing and explore the interactions and trade-offs among food safety, worker safety, environmental impact, hen health and welfare, and food affordability.
Information generated by the research is expected to help consumers and producers make objective, science-based decisions as the egg industry evolves in response to consumer needs and desires, says Janice Swanson, MSU’s director of animal welfare and professor of animal science.
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